Supporting farmers’ mental health across North Yorkshire

Funded by David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, this work focuses on practical, early support by sharing information and helping people understand what support is available. It reflects the everyday pressures farmers have told us about, such as stress, workload, finances, isolation and uncertainty.

This is about everyday pressures and getting the right support early, not just when things reach crisis point.

By addressing these earlier, we can help reduce their impact.

Our role is to help people find the right support. We are not providing treatment or medical care ourselves, but helping those who work in farming understand what support is out there and how to access it.

Why this project matters

People working in farming have told us it is not always easy to know where to get help and advice when they need it.

Long hours, travel, and the demands of the job can make it harder to get help early or talk about how things are really going. Many farmers tell us that support is not always easy to access during busy periods or feels difficult to fit around day to day work.

What we've heard so far

Last year, Healthwatch spoke with farmers, farming families and organisations across the county to better understand these challenges. We heard about:

• long working hours and seasonal pressures
• the practical difficulties of attending health appointments
• travel distances in rural North Yorkshire
• stigma around asking for help
• the need for support that understands farming life

What we heard was set out in our Ploughing through barriers report, which is already helping improve support locally. This has led to:

• NHS healthcare teams visiting livestock markets
• training for general practice staff (including local doctors) to better understand farming life
• wider work to make care more flexible and accessible for rural communities. 

You can also view a short infographic summarising the impact of this work.

This new project builds on what we’ve learned by opening conversations with farmers and those in the farming community in places where they already go and helping them find the right practical and emotional support. 

What this new project will do

Over the coming months, we will:

• spend time in places farmers already go, such as auction marts and agricultural shows
• share clear, practical information about mental health and wellbeing and where to get help
• promote farming focused mental health awareness training delivered by organisations supporting farmers, for families, friends and people who work closely with them

Mental health awareness training

We will promote training from organisations such as the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution, a national charity that supports people working in farming with practical, financial and mental health support.

RABI training is designed specifically for farming communities and focuses on:

• recognising when someone may be under pressure
• understanding how stress can affect mental health
• knowing how to check in and start a conversation
• encouraging support within farming communities