RSABI increases focus on suicide prevention in farming
10th September 2024
On World Suicide Prevention Day, RSABI is set to recruit a full-time member of staff focused on suicide prevention work in Scottish agriculture.
RSABI has announced it is embarking on a recruitment drive to find a full-time member of staff focused on crucial suicide prevention work in Scottish agriculture.
The new position is being delivered in partnership with SAMH (Scottish Action for Mental Health).
The news coincides with World Suicide Prevention Day (10th September).
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.
Priorities include increasing understanding of suicide in Scotland’s farming and crofting communities, and awareness of how everyone can help with suicide prevention.
Rising demand for mental health initiatives
The new role will add a range of mental health initiatives delivered by RSABI to help provide emotional support to people in Scottish agriculture.
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.
This helps them to know what to say and do when someone is struggling.
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This summer the charity also began a programme of suicide prevention training with young farmers, working with the specialist charity Papyrus.
RSABI has seen demand for is free counselling services increase significantly over the past year and provided over 1,000 free counselling sessions to people in Scottish agriculture.
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, RSABI is rolling out a Health Hut initiative with a team of nurses and doctors 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.
Vital step forward
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 close knit Scottish farming and crofting communities, is huge.”
Having a dedicated individual in the team who is focused on suicide prevention will take RSABI’s collaboration with SAMH to a new level, she added.
As well as working on communications, awareness-raising and engagement around suicide prevention, the new recruit will lead on new research in the coming months.
“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.”
Concern over rising challenges
Dan Farthing, head of suicide prevention at SAMH, added: “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 SAMH is concerned this 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,” he added.
“We’re grateful to RSABI for working with us and look forward to the work we’ll do together.”
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