A new study has found that the mental health challenges facing Ireland’s farming community can affect entire families, not just farmers themselves.
Researchers at DCU found that six in ten farm family members have never sought professional help, despite many balancing employment away from the farm with unpaid work and responsibilities at home.
The research highlights the pressures faced by farming families and the importance of making mental health supports more accessible.
A new preventative mental health programme is now being rolled out, with farming families being encouraged to get involved and access support before problems become more serious.
Professor Siobhan O’Connor, Co-principal project investigator says spouses and children can be an invisible workforce.
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