Value of mental health first aid training of advisory and extension agents in supporting farmers in rural Queensland (original) (raw)
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A number of current events are exacerbating farm stress. Extension and farm organizations have mobilized responses to an emerging mental health crisis among farmers. To evaluate these responses, we conducted an online scan of resources to present a baseline typology of current mental health programs and response efforts in the 12-state Extension North Central Region. We classified responses by type of program, target audience, and delivery format. We identified the need to train mental health counselors and state suicide hotline responders on farm issues and farm culture.
Farm Advisors' reflections on Mental Health First Aid training
2009
This paper describes an evaluation of the use of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training with Farm Advisors. The specific objectives of the training were to: i) determine whether changes to mental health literacy were evident; ii) investigate whether changes were affected by demographic factors such as age, sex, work experience and experience with mental health problems; and iii) describe
Australian Journal of Rural Health, 2008
Objective: To describe the process and outcome of development of a framework for planning and implementation of a range of interventions aimed at improving the mental health and wellbeing of farmers and farm families in New South Wales (NSW). Design: In response to a major drought in New South Wales (NSW), key agencies were invited to participate in a longer-term collaborative program aimed at improving the mental health and well-being of the people on NSW farms. These agencies became the
BMC Psychiatry
Background Farmers and those involved in the wider agricultural industry have a high suicide rate. They are also a ‘hard to reach’ group who make less than average use of mental health services. There is therefore a need to understand how best to develop interventions that meet their needs. The aims of this study were to develop a deeper understanding of the farming context and target population and to engage farmers in the shaping of two potential mental health interventions that could be incorporated in a pilot RCT. Methods The study was informed throughout by a reference group, who assisted in co-production of the research materials. A snowball approach was used to recruit interested individuals who had an association with farming. Twenty one telephone interviews were undertaken and analysed using the six phases of thematic analysis proposed by Braun and Clarke. Results Key themes (and sub-themes shown in brackets) related to the study aims were: everyday life (work-life balance;...
Attitudes of advisory and extension agents towards people with mental health problems
2010
In Queensland Australia extended drought has had negative impact on the mental health of farmers who are often geographically isolated. Advisory and Extension Agents are often their main contacts. At the behest of extension agencies a two-day mental health first aid training was provided to 32 AEA to improve their attitudes towards people with mentally health problems. Immediately prior to the course and six months after training information about attitudes towards people with mental health problems were collected from the AEA using the data collection instrument. The findings indicated that the training had significantly improved the attitudes of AEAs towards people with mental health problems and their ability to help them. Females and older AEAs with less work experience demonstrated more positive attitudes towards people with mental health problems after the training than males, and younger AEAs.
Developing and Implementing Farm Stress Training to Address Agricultural Producer Mental Health
Health Promotion Practice
Farmers and ranchers (agricultural producers) have higher psychological distress and suicide rates than the general population. Poorer mental health status and outcomes among producers are often attributed to the continuously challenging economic, social, and climate-related changes to agriculture as an occupation and industry. This article describes the development of a training program for agribusiness professionals from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency (N = 500) who work with producers, as they regularly interact with producers and thus are in a position to readily offer helpful mental health resources. The goal of the program was for agribusiness professionals to build skills and confidence to identify and respond to distressed producers. The educational program was offered primarily online and included a 1-day in-person training to practice skills to communicate with distressed producers and refer them to appropriate mental health resources. Evaluation of ...
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
This study evaluated the impact of “In the Know” mental health literacy training for Canadian agriculture. We hypothesized that “In the Know” would significantly increase participants’ knowledge around mental health, confidence in recognizing mental health struggles, confidence in speaking about mental health with others, and confidence in helping someone who may be struggling with mental health. “In the Know” was a 4-h, in-person program delivered by a mental health professional who also had experience in agriculture. Six sessions were offered in Ontario, Canada in 2018. Participants were farmers and/or worked primarily with farmers. A pre-training paper questionnaire was administered, followed by a post-training questionnaire at the end of the session and 3 and 6 month post-training questionnaires via email. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were performed to compare participants’ self-reported knowledge and confidence across four timepoints. “In the Know” significantly improved particip...
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