Lucia Slack, a mental health nurse based in Cumbria and a first-generation dairy farmer’s wife, has received a prestigious Nuffield Farming Scholarship to explore ways to prevent suicides within the farming community. Her study, titled “Addressing Suicide in Agriculture: Supporting and Preventing the Biggest Hidden Danger Today,” aims to investigate effective suicide prevention strategies and promote mental health in agriculture worldwide.
Scholarship to Study Global Approaches
Sponsored by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, the Nuffield Scholarship will allow Ms. Slack to travel internationally to study suicide prevention programs in agriculture, particularly in countries with high suicide rates in the sector, including India, China, Australia, Japan, the USA, New Zealand, and Sweden.
“The agricultural industry is incredibly stressful, and with my professional experience in mental health nursing and my personal connection to farming, I understand how difficult it can be,” says Slack. “I wanted to use this opportunity to explore ways to make a real difference in the industry by addressing mental health and preventing suicides.”
The Farming Mental Health Crisis
Farming is known for its inherent stressors, with isolation, financial pressures, and unpredictable weather conditions contributing to the high mental-health toll on those in the industry. In the UK alone, three people die by suicide every week in agriculture, highlighting the urgency of finding solutions.
Ms. Slack plans to study successful programs from around the world that have positively impacted the mental health of farmers, with particular focus on peer support, community engagement, and reducing the stigma surrounding mental illness.
Promoting Mental Health in the Farming Community
As part of her research, Ms. Slack aims to identify how the UK can improve its suicide prevention efforts. She will evaluate existing services, such as those provided by organizations like The Farming Community Network and the Samaritans, and determine how to expand their reach to farmers who may be unaware of the support available.
“I want to understand what the UK is already doing well, and also explore how we can target the market we aren’t currently reaching,” Ms. Slack explains. “How can we make people more aware of the support that’s out there?”
Support Networks for Farmers in the UK
In the UK, several charities and organizations provide vital emotional and practical support to farmers. These include the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution, Addington Fund, and the Samaritans. In Yorkshire, these services are coordinated through the Yorkshire Agricultural Society’s Yorkshire Rural Support Network, which helps connect farmers with resources ranging from mental health services to financial aid.
The Yorkshire Agricultural Society is also part of a collaboration delivering a two-year support program funded by the DEFRA Farmer Welfare Fund. This program, in partnership with The Farmer Network and other organizations, is designed to improve the health and well-being of farmers and rural communities in Northern England.
A Global Perspective for Local Impact
Through her global study, Ms. Slack hopes to gather valuable insights into how mental health and suicide prevention can be better addressed within agriculture, both in the UK and worldwide. By understanding and adapting successful international strategies, she aims to contribute to a future where fewer farmers are affected by the mental health crisis in agriculture.
“Supporting the health and wellbeing of the farming community is a key priority of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society,” says Allister Nixon, CEO of the Society. “We are proud to sponsor Lucia in her research, which we hope will benefit the wider farming community globally.”
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