Suicide prevention event exploring the increase in farmer suicides
Over the years, farming has seen increasing pressure on those who work within the industry from financial worries, increasing competition, Brexit, the weather and now COVID. This has led to a rise in the number of farmers and farm workers taking their own lives.
To dig deeper into this, Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, the region’s mental health provider, has joined with a farming wellbeing charity to organise an online suicide prevention event for members of the farming community, the public and all health staff.
According to the Farm Safety Foundation (FSF), in the UK 133 people from farming and associated agricultural trades lost their lives through suicide in 2019
And an FSF survey found that 88% of farmers under 40 rank poor mental health as the biggest hidden problem facing the industry.
NSFT’s Suicide prevention lead Liz Howlett and Emma Haley, who is charity manager for YANA (You Are Not Alone), will host an online suicide prevention event on Farmers Day, 12 October, noon-1pm.
They will also be joined by farmer Kit Papworth, who lost his father, David, to suicide in in August 2018 at the age of 73.
The panel will talk about their experiences and what help is out there and answer questions from those attending the event.
Kit said: “The impact on the close family was devastating - it came as a shock to everyone, and the impact is ongoing for all of us. For the family business it changed all of us, and our staff, and it was a shock initially to the wider agricultural community of the area.”
He said the signs may have been there, but they were very subtle. “No-one really believed that he would take his own life. I believe, now, that he had considered it for some time and that he finally made the decision after some considerable thought.
“I am not sure anyone could have stopped my father. "He didn’t discuss how he was feeling and whilst there was help offered, and he tried to accept that help, and to get better, ultimately you have to really want to. I believe that he stopped wanting to.”
He said that the farming community had to become better at seeing the signs, at offering to help personally. “As an industry we also have to solve some of the issues which cause the depression and injuries in the first place,” he said.
Emma has a wealth of experience in mental health and the charity sector. She is also a trustee of Hope After Suicide Loss, a Suffolk-based charity providing support and counselling for adults bereaved by suicide.
YANA provides confidential support to those in farming and rural business through fully funded counselling. It also raises awareness and understanding of mental health through a range of campaigns, such as Stick Up for Better Rural Mental Health, through window and tractor stickers, attending events, giving talks and presentations and distributing leaflets to businesses and GPs.
It is currently running Seven Tractor Facts to Save a Life campaign to raise awareness of the support it provides. The handy credit-card sized tool is available from admin@yanahelp.org.
The charity has also invested in mental health first aid training for those in farming and rural businesses.
Emma said: “We know that suicide can feel a scary subject and understand that many of us feel wary of saying the wrong thing. That is why an opportunity like this discussion is important. It helps to unpack those reservations, to give practical advice on suicide prevention so people become more comfortable with talking about suicide - and acting.
“We are looking forward to contributing to the discussion, to sharing ideas and thoughts, and learning from each other’s experiences and insights.”
Visit www.nsft.nhs.uk/trust-events for the link to join the online event.