A Guide to Mental Health Resources for Australian Farmers

ifarmwell

ifarmwell offers a practical, farmer-centric approach to mental wellbeing, providing a free online toolkit designed to help farmers effectively cope with life’s challenges on the land. Its value lies in its proactive approach, equipping farmers with strategies to navigate difficult circumstances specific to their situation.

The ifarmwell website shares practical ways of coping with difficult circumstances, thoughts and feelings. Uniquely, the website was co-designed with farmers and rural communities ensuring its content is both relevant and accessible. The core value of ifarmwell is not in crisis intervention, but to provide Australian farmers with reliable, evidence-based tools to promote better mental health on a daily basis.

National Centre for Farmer Health (NCFH)

The National Centre for Farmer Health (NCFH) is dedicated to improving the health, wellbeing, and safety of farmers, farm workers, farming families and agriculture-dependent communities across Australia. Through health services, education and training, translational research and stakeholder engagement, we drive change and make a lasting impact.

See the Farmers Resource Hub here.

Rural Aid

Rural Aid offers free, confidential counselling to farmers and their family. They conduct counselling at the place that best suits, on farm, in town or over the phone. Rural Aid counsellors are professionally trained to help support people navigate all kinds of life challenges but come with an understanding of the unique needs of rural people.

Rural Aid also assists farmers facing various disasters, right across Australia. If you have been impacted by a declared natural disaster complete an application form here.

Call: 1300 175 594

Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA)

Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) provides a range of mental health resources and support options for producers, particularly those within the red meat and livestock industries.

MLA facilitates access to psychologists and psychiatrists through virtual practices such as PSYCH2U and Call to Mind, which bulk bill those in rural and remote areas.

Healthdirect

Healthdirect offers a wealth of health-related information, with a dedicated section focusing on farmer health. Its value as a mental health resource lies in its accessibility and comprehensive coverage of the unique health challenges faced by farmers. The site acknowledges that farmers are more likely to experience depression and anxiety than other people due to factors like financial concerns, family problems, and difficulty finding and keeping good workers. Healthdirect provides actionable advice for farmers to stay healthy, including daily exercise, stretching, sun protection, and vaccinations.

Farm Transitions Australia

Farm Transitions Australia addresses a very specific, and often overlooked, stressor in the agricultural community: the challenges associated with exiting or transitioning away from traditional farming practices. This organization provides free support to struggling dairy and beef farmers seeking to transition to more sustainable plant-focused agriculture, new business ventures, or career changes. The importance of this lies in acknowledging that traditional farming, while deeply ingrained, may not always be sustainable, or mentally healthy. With a new survey of 150 Australian dairy farmers finding more than half of dairy farmers identify the impact of dairy farming as a primary challenge to their mental health.

Bush Support Line (for health care staff)

CRANAPlus provides Mental health and wellbeing support free of charge 24/7, 365-day telephone support to Australia’s rural and remote health workforce and their families. The line is staffed by psychologists with rural, remote, and cross-cultural expertise. It provides a confidential space where health workers and their families can discuss professional and personal difficulties, seek advice, and develop coping strategies.

MensLine Australia

MensLine Australia is a free telephone and online counselling service offering support for Australian men anywhere, anytime. Offering free professional 24/7 telephone counselling support for men with concerns about mental health, relationships, anger management, family violence, stress, and suicidal thoughts.

Call: 1300-789-978

SafeWork NSW

SafeWork NSW highlights mental health as a crucial aspect of farm safety, recognising that farmers face a unique set of pressures that can lead to depression and other mental health issues. The SafeWork NSW website provides educational resources to assist farmers and their families understand triggers, signs, and what options are available

Beyond Blue

Beyond Blue offers 24/7 counselling as well as a huge array of mental health resources such as Alcohol & mental health, Youth & mental health, LGBTIQ mental health and Womens mental health.

Call: 1300-224-636

R U OK?

R U OK? helps empower everyone to meaningfully connect with the people around them and start a conversation with those in their world who may be struggling with life.

You don’t need to be an expert to reach out – just a good friend and a great listener. 

Learn Strategies to start difficult conversations.

Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF)

DAFF provides funding to local governments and community organizations to deliver free support services, including family support, one-to-one counselling, and community mental health and wellbeing events, more here.

HALT: (Local tradies Health)

Hope Assistance Local Tradies (HALT) is a national grass-roots suicide prevention charity. HALT events provide tradies and apprentices with the tools to start having conversations about mental health, and we encourage tradies to support their mates when they’re going through tough times. Download HALTs Toolkit here.

Beyond Blue (1300 224 636)

MensLine Australia (1800 903 919)

Lifeline (13 11 14)

Farmer Assistance Hotline (13 23 16)