Increased Focus on Suicide Prevention in Scottish Agriculture

The drive to raise awareness and understanding of suicide prevention in the Scottish agricultural community is set to take a significant step forward this month.

Ahead of World Suicide Prevention Day (Sept 10, 2024) RSABI is embarking on a recruitment drive behind a new role in the charity, which supports people in Scottish agriculture, focused on suicide prevention in Scotland’s farming and crofting communities.

The new position, being delivered in partnership with SAMH (Scottish Action for Mental Health), will see RSABI for the first time benefit from a full-time member of staff  focused on crucial suicide prevention work in Scottish agriculture.

As well as working long hours, the isolation of modern farming and lack of social contact, along with the impact of the increased cost of living, are factors which can have a major impact on the mental wellbeing of people in farming.

The aim is to maximise the opportunity for partnership working and collaboration with specialist organisations involved in suicide prevention, in line with the Scottish Government’s Prevention Strategy, Creating Hope Together.

One priority will be to improve understanding of suicide in Scotland’s farming and crofting communities and increase awareness of the ways everyone can play a part in suicide prevention.

The new role is set to add to a range of mental health initiatives RSABI is delivering to help provide emotional support to people in Scottish agriculture, which sadly has a poor track record in terms of mental health and suicide.

In the past two years RSABI has delivered mental health first aid training, working with former Royal Marines at IED Training Solutions, to over 700 people working in the frontline of Scottish agriculture, to help them to know what to say and do when someone is struggling.

The charity also works very closely with the Scottish Association of Young Farmers Clubs (SAYFC) and has this summer started an ambitious programme of Suicide Prevention training with young farmers, working with Papyrus, a charity which specialises in suicide prevention in young people.

RSABI has also seen demand for is free counselling services increase significantly over the past year with over 1000 free counselling sessions provided to people in Scottish agriculture in the past year.

The fact that farmers are often reluctant to seek help from a health professional at an early stage can also contribute to mental and physical conditions deteriorating. To help tackle this, and encourage farmers to seek professional advice, RSABI is rolling out a Health Hut initiative with a dedicated team of nurses and doctors setting up health huts in auction marts and at agricultural shows throughout the country.

A wellbeing app – Thrive Wellbeing – is also provided free of charge by RSABI, following a successful pilot programme with three young farmers clubs.

Carol McLaren, Chief Executive of RSABI, said the development of the new role in partnership with SAMH is a vital step forward.

“We know that sadly we are still losing far too many people of all ages in Scottish agriculture to suicide and too often our welfare team sees the devastating impact this has on families and friends bereaved by suicide. The impact of these deaths on our closeknit Scottish farming and crofting communities, is huge.

“As a charity we already work closely with many of Scotland’s mental health organisations and working in partnership with SAMH and having a dedicated individual in our team focused on communications, awareness-raising and engagement around suicide prevention will ensure we can take the benefits of this collaboration to a new level.

“Our new recruit will also lead on new research in the coming months to help us increase understanding of a great many factors relating to suicide in Scottish agriculture. This will help us to understand how RSABI, working in collaboration with many others, can raise awareness in our communities, help prevent suicides and support those bereaved by suicide.”

Dan Farthing, Head of Suicide Prevention at SAMH

Dan Farthing, Head of Suicide Prevention at SAMH, said:

“The agricultural sector has always been demanding. There is widespread lone working and highly intensive long working hours, particularly at peak times of the year.  However, people are now facing mounting pressures as the economics of farming change.

“Climate change and workforce challenges are adding considerably to those pressures, and we are concerned that is adding to the risk of suicide in the community. This partnership with RSABI is really important as a step towards improving the understanding of suicide in the sector and creating opportunities to have meaningful conversations about suicide in farming communities to reduce risk. We’re grateful to RSABI for working with us and look forward to the work we’ll do together.”