The Australian Farmer

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the australian farmer

Improving mental health help for farmers in the face of increased droughts and rising temperatures Mental health issues in farmers are a rising concern, especially in the face of predicted increases in droughts and hotter conditions. We need to get better in dealing with and treating mental health conditions in rural communities. By Professor Sarah Wheeler

In a study published by my team this year in Climate Change Economics, research in the Murray-Darling Basin of Australia found that an increase in extreme drought occurrence in the previous 12 months was strongly associated with the suicide rate increasing by almost a third. Moderate drought was also found associ- ated with an increasing suicide rate, but only by a small margin. Hotter temperatures were also positively linked to a rise in the total suicide rate. The more farmers within an area studied, the higher the sui- cide rate, and the suicide of males and younger age groups were more positively associated with extreme drought and higher temperatures. A survey of 1338 farmers by Norco and the Na- tional Farmers Federation in February 2023 found similar findings. They reported that close to half of Australian farmers had thoughts of self-harm or suicide,

As the driest inhabited continent in the world, Australia regularly experiences rainfall defi- ciency, prolonged drought, and hotter temper- atures with future change predicted to heighten these extremes. One area of growing concern is the link be- tween the impacts of weather extremes on men- tal health, particularly in rural areas. Droughts result in reduced agricultural pro- duction, increased financial hardship, degraded environmental conditions, and reduced regional employment opportunities. As a result, droughts can induce post-traumatic stress disorder, anx- iety and depression, with hotter temperatures negatively influencing the central nervous system and moods. Poor mental health is linked with higher suicide rates, and in Australia, the suicide rate in remote Australia has been found to be almost double that of major cities.