Farmer representative groups prove that concerted action can achieve great things when everyone speaks with one voice.
The portrait of the mental health of farmers was less than rosy ten years ago in Quebec. Research confirmed a higher suicide rate than in the general population, as did stress and depression, with the human tragedies that go with them.
Community mobilization led to the creation in Saint-Hyacinthe of a respite home for farmers, which also offers first-line listening, support and accompaniment services.
Thirteen workers, called row workers, also work in the nine agricultural regions of Quebec to provide services adapted to a sector that has its own particularities.
Mobilization and awareness
Isabelle Sauriol, coordinator of the Occupational Health and Safety Service at the Union of Agricultural Producers (UPA), confirms the popularity of these services. It is difficult, she says, to link their enthusiasm to a decline in the mental health of farmers, or a change in perception, due to the lack of data.
The good news is that they seem more likely to ask for help.
“The pandemic has not changed much for them: they are used to working alone and under pressure. But they are affected by labor issues, rising costs and climate change.”
The change in tone in recent years is closely linked to the community’s desire to take a stronger position on the issue of mental health, according to Ms. Sauriol.
The PAU has itself created a post dedicated to mental health within its 12 regional offices.
In addition, 4,000 people working in the agricultural sector have been trained since 2016 by the Suicide Prevention Center to identify signs of distress.