Ottawa spends $160K on farmers’ mental health
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BRANDON — The federal government’s decision to put up money for mental health programs for farmers has been hailed as welcome recognition of a problem that is often ignored.
“When the federal government starts handing out money for farmer mental wellness, that’s huge. That sends a message across the board, to provincial governments, to industry people, to lenders, saying ‘Hey, there is a problem out there that we need to address,” said Gerry Friesen, chief administrative officer of the Manitoba farmer wellness program.
Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau announced the $160,000 investment at the National Symposium on Agricultural Mental Health Wednesday.
Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau announced the $160,000 investment at the National Symposium on Agricultural Mental Health Wednesday. (Winnipeg Free Press files)
The money will be used to expand resources offered by the Canadian Centre for Agricultural Wellbeing, a not-for-profit organization that conducts research and works with community organizations to address farmer wellness issues.
“Farmers have a very demanding job and deal with a lot of stress,” Bibeau said in a news release. “Mental health issues are so often taboo in the sector, which is why initiatives like the ones created by the (centre) are so essential to open the dialogue and, ultimately, save lives.”
The Manitoba program, which has operated for one year, provides six free counselling sessions to farmers across the province. It relies on donations from individuals, businesses and banks to pay its counsellors.
Friesen said it doesn’t need to pursue government funding because support from the agriculture community has been overwhelming.
“My personal goal here, and the goal of the program, is to ensure that absolutely every one of those farmers and their families are aware of (it) because (then) they can reach out and utilize the services,” he said.
In a 2021 survey of Canadian farmers’ mental health conducted by researchers at the University of Guelph, 76 per cent said they were experiencing moderate or high perceived stress. Suicide ideation was twice as high among farmers compared to the general population. Additionally, the survey found one in four farmers reported their life was not worth living, wished they were dead or had thought about taking their own life during the past 12 months.
Friesen, who describes himself as a “recovering farmer,” has talked about his mental health struggles in the past.
“In my case, when I look back at my journey, I know that should I have had a program such as this available to me before I slipped into the ‘abyss,’ as I call it. I think it could have helped me to have a better life and not sunk as deep as I did,” he said in a previous interview.
Unpredictable weather patterns, changing government policy and fluctuating interest rates contribute to challenges that take a toll on farmers’ well-being, he pointed out.
— Brandon Sun
