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de-stigmatize mental health and promote resilience among farmers
The Goal
Agriculture is more than a business; it's a way of life. Albertan farmers are dedicated to their land, livestock, families, and rural communities. While actively contributing to the local and global food supply, they face significant pressures to sustain their operation and preserve extensive farm family legacies amidst the daily challenges of farm life – Unpredictable weather, financial stress, equipment breakdowns, lack of manpower, isolation, constantly shifting markets, changing consumer preferences, and regulatory pressure are just some of the stressors impacting Alberta farmers. Research indicates that these challenges contribute to a higher prevalence of depression, anxiety, and burnout among farmers compared to the general population.
In Canada, the mental health challenges faced by farmers have emerged as a pressing concern within the agricultural landscape. The following are preliminary findings from Dr. Rebecca Purc-Stephenson:
Diagram 1.: Preliminary results from Dr. R. Purc-Stephenson research project.
Depression among farmers: the survey found that 66.7% of Alberta farmers are experiencing some degree of depression, compared to 57.7% of farmers in national data collected in 2021.
Anxiety among farmers: while national data in 2021 found that 49.3% of farmers experienced anxiety, 78.5% of Alberta farmers reported experiencing anxiety, a significantly higher percentage.
Additionally, the survey reported higher rates of burnout among Alberta farmers compared to both the national data on farmers and general population norms. Similarly, Albertan farmers reported higher rates of resilience compared to the national data on farmers, this was still lower than the general population norms across Canada.
Why Donate
How donations help
agknow’s therapist network
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With a focus on boosting the availability of rural mental health services, and harnessing professional development opportunities backed with leading-edge research, AgKnow is building a network of mental health experts who understand the unique needs of farmers and rural clients.
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We are constantly updating and educating our therapist networking with cutting-edge information and statistics that can be used in their sessions with farmers.
Agknow’s facilitators
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We ensure that our facilitators are well equipped with the tools and methodology needed to conduct impactful and research base workshops for our stakeholders all over Alberta that in-person.
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We constantly expanding our onboarding process of new facilitators and developing guided curriculums that enhance their knowledge of Alberta farm industry.
Research resources & Information
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AgKnow is a hub for mental health information towards farmers of Alberta. We update our database on a monthly basis and as a result we share this information via our monthly newsletter as well as on social media.
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As your hub for farmer mental support, we have an expansive array of scientific and research base knowledge base that is accessible to our therapist, facilitators, web visitors and all stakeholders. We seek to continuously provide this information throughout our journey.