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Prairie Swine Centre is an affiliate of the University of Saskatchewan
Prairie Swine Centre is grateful for the assistance of the George Morris Centre in developing the economics portion of Pork Insight.
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MENTAL WELLNESS AMONGST OUR AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS: WHERE ARE WE, AND WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
Posted in: Pork Insight Articles by admin on May 10, 2017
Mental health needs amongst agricultural producers are being increasingly recognized, particularly in the wake of large-scale animal disease outbreaks, mass animal depopulations, and extreme weather events. Worldwide, producers experience depression, anxiety, and suicide at levels higher than the general population and report significant occupational stresses. Reluctance in help seeking amongst producers further compounds the issues and makes it difficult to effectively reach this population. In addition to the important human health element, the impacts of mental distress on producers’ animals, their welfare, and agricultural production must also be considered.
Participating Canadian producers showed high levels of anxiety, depression, and emotional exhaustion, as well as low levels of resilience. Producers expressed positive attitudes towards help-seeking, and low levels of satisfaction with current industry support. Regrettably, producers also perceived others as having stigma around mental health. Current directions for producers include development of a mental health literacy program specific for Canadian agriculture, and development of an emergency response model to facilitate quick and efficient response to producer wellbeing during times of agricultural crisis.