THE Pilot Health Initiative rolled out for farmers in Autumn 2024 at familiar locations such as marts or agricultural events, was an invaluable aid in helping to get people to talk about mental health issues, according to IFA Farm Family and Social Affairs Rep., Teresa Roche.

She told the Farming Tribune this week that as well as the pilot project highlighting general health issues – mainly relating to heart warning signs – farmers also spoke very openly about such issues as loneliness, stress, fatigue and matters relation to suicide ideation.

“Half of the farmers that took part in the Pilot Health Check Programme spoke quite sincerely about issues that in the past they may not have opened up about.

“Those things covered a broad spectrum of concerns including long working days, anxiety, stress, financial concerns, isolation and loneliness.

“Grief also featured very prominently in the feedback we got from farmers where they had lost a loved one . . . a wife, a husband, child, brother/sister or close friend,” Teresa Roche told the Farming Tribune.

Other issues, she said, that were raised in the health assessments and talks last Autumn, included the abuse of drugs and alcohol; domestic violence and the impact that the impact of a suicide on a family and community.

IFA, CROÍ and the Department of Agriculture organised the Health Check programmes which involved a number of West of Ireland locations including Tuam, Gort, Ennis and Balla marts as well as the Ploughing Championships and farming women’s events.

“I think that one of the really rewarding things that emerged from this project was that farmers found themselves at ease in talking about personal health issues in an environment such as the canteen of a mart.

“They really did buy into it and opened up about issues that otherwise they might have kept to themselves. One aspects of the discussion and survey was the number of farmers who been impacted – either directly or indirectly – by a suicide that they knew of,” said Teresa Roche.

She said that the project which was funded by the Dept. of Agriculture had been a huge success and the hope now was that it could be expanded upon in 2025 and over future years.

“I think that many of the farmers that took part in this health survey and checks felt at the end of it that it was okay to feel vulnerable. We spoke their language and they spoke back to us very honestly and sincerely.

“Around 60% of the farmers who took part in the project said that they had felt under stress while around 80% of them said that they had very little time to spare and very little energy left, once they had completed their farming work,” said Teresa Roche.

Pictured: Teresa Roche: Farmers opened up about mental health issues.