Farmers often experience high rates of psychological distress and mental health concerns as a result of many occupational and environmental stressors, such as weather patterns, climate change and demanding workloads and finances. To help provide Ontario’s agricultural community with accessible mental health supports and services, researchers at the University of Guelph developed a mental health literacy workshop called In the Know.
Run in partnership with the Canadian Mental Health Association (Ontario Division) and the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, In the Know aims to increase help-seeking among farmers across the province and help agricultural workers better identify, understand and cope with mental health challenges.
The half-day online training session provides education on topics, such as stress, depression, anxiety, substance misuse and how to start a conversation around mental health and well-being.
In the Know is also being leveraged in Manitoba with plans to make the program available to farmers and agricultural workers across Canada.
For more information, visit the University of Guelph.
