It’s hard to tell farmers in a low payout year to slow down, admire the view and remember why they love working on the land, yet that’s exactly what they should do to maintain mental wellbeing, she said.
“If you’ve got your head down looking at the grass, you won’t see something coming at you from the side.”
A 2012-13 Nielsen survey of nearly 600 New Zealand farm owners and managers found 19% felt life was a constant struggle, 67% more than the general population.
Farmers had to find a balance to cope with the production and financial risk associated with dairy farming, Carver said.
It’s an industry dependent on outside factors including milk price and weather, and risk was unavoidable, which was why farmers had to be mentally resilient to continue to manage successful businesses.
“Being mentally resilient is about doing things which create wellness every day, so when the hard times or a crisis comes, it doesn’t tip you over and you can withstand the pressure.”
DairyNZ would focus on mental resilience this year rather than just the end result of depression. A lot of farmers switched off when they heard the term depression because they thought that wasn’t them, and most of them would be right, Carver said.
“Most people just need somebody to talk to. The answer isn’t always going to the doctor and getting pills. Medication has its place, but is often handed out before other options are considered.”
Most people just needed to make a few changes to their business or their relationship, she said.
Making those changes to be in a good head space was crucial to making sound personal and business decisions. Laying off staff, for example, to save money wouldn’t necessarily make the bottom line look better because it could put a farmer under more pressure, cause them to make bad decisions and potentially cause them to break down, she said.
Farmers had to learn to take time out, especially during the tough times, and ask for help when they needed it. It took good people skills to make that happen and farmers had to be able to manage staff and be willing to delegate.
If people felt they were under pressure to fire staff or felt forced to make any other stressful decision, they should talk to their owner, employer, bank manager, neighbour or any rural professional.
“Tell your bank manager that if there is any more financial pressure you don’t think you’ll be able to cope.”
Farmers were getting better at publicly opening up and talking about their experiences with mental illness, which was an exciting development, but there was a lack of support in rural locations for farmers who were encouraged to reach out for help, she said.
“What I’m concerned about is that we haven’t got the people on the ground to help if everyone puts their hands up.”
DairyNZ would be working hard this year to deliver more support networks for farmers with people on the ground who knew the pressures of farming.
Health professionals were not easily accessible in rural areas and often didn’t have knowledge about the unique pressures of farming. It was unrealistic to teach them as they were already under significant pressure, Carver said.
The best approach would be to support rural professionals and farmers to know what signs to look for and ensure they were comfortable talking about an uncomfortable subject like mental illness. People also needed to know when they should direct a person to get more professional help, she said.
A support network of farmers, the TATE Group, had been set up in Southland to establish community initiatives which would help keep farmers well, and Carver hoped it could be a model for other groups in the future.
Any farmers interested in joining a regional support group can contact Carver by emailing dana.carver@dairynz.co.nz.
If you, or someone you know, might need support visit www.rural-support.org.nz or phone 0800 787 254. Or phone 0800 111 757 or visit www.depression.org.nz.
Ten signs to look for
Ten signs of illness and burnout to look out for. Be especially aware if you notice a number of these happening at once.
• Continually tired and run down
• Often sick with colds, flu or tummy bugs
• Constantly irritable
• Quick and noticeable weight loss or weight gain
• Dependent on caffeine to get through the day (more than four caffeine drinks every day)
• Frequent arguing with friends, family and work colleagues
• Making self-degrading comments (I’m useless, I’m going nowhere, I can’t do anything right)
• Fairly sudden change in mood, personality or behaviour which lasts for several weeks
• Lack of appetite
• Prolonged disinterest in jobs or things which once created engagement and satisfaction
