1 in 4 Ontario farmers contemplated suicide in past 12 months: study
There’s no way around it — Farming is one of the most stressful occupations on the planet.
“Seventy six per cent of farmers are self identifying as having moderate to high stress levels. In general, that is much higher stress levels than the general population,” said Ontario Federation of Agriculture President Peggy Brekveld.
And that’s not the most concerning number, said Brekveld.
“I think the really scary number is from the most recent study done by Dr. Andria Jones-Bitton from the University of Guelph, that talks about one in four farmers in the last 12 months, at some point, said they weren’t sure their life was worth living. That’s scary,” she said.
That study helped expedite the creation of Agriculture Wellness Ontario. A suite of mental health programs designed specifically for Ontario farmers, which include mental health workshops, a volunteer suicide prevention program and a 24/7 free counselling phone line.
“People can call while they’re in the field, or in the barn, in the middle of the night if they’d like. It’s available all of the time,” said Kristin Wheatcroft, agriculture wellness Ontario lead for the Canadian Mental Health Association.
The partnership between the Ontario Federation of Agriculture and Canadian Mental Health Association is the first of its kind in the province, reaching every farm and field across the countryside and addressing the unique challenges farmers face.
“I think the reality of living rurally really impacts this community. Access to supports is more challenging,” said Wheatcroft.
“It’s all about the climate and the weather. You can have one big storm come up and destroy the crops you worked all year for. Sometimes it’s animal health. We’ve had that on our farm, where we couldn’t figure out what the mystery disease was, impacting our herd,” said Brekveld.
“If you are a farmer or farm family, these services are available for you,” said Wheatcroft.
“There is hope and there are ways to see light at the end of the tunnel and this program, I like to think, is one way to say you can come through this. You’re not alone,” Brekveld added.
Mental health resources for farmers:
To learn more you can visit www.agriculturewellnessontario.ca or by calling the 24/7 farmer help line at 1-866-267-6255.
If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health matters, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 (or 988 beginning July 16, 2022) or Canada's Talk Suicide 1-833-456-4566. The following resources are also available to support people in crisis:
Hope for Wellness Helpline: (English, French, Cree, Ojibway and Inuktitut): 1-855-242-3310
Embrace Life Council hotline: 1-800-265-3333
Trans Lifeline: 1-877-330-6366
Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.