FarmFAMHealth project launch mental health training for farm families
The FarmFaMHealth project based out of DCU and funded by Research Ireland have launched their report on farm family members mental wellbeing in Ireland alongside the launch of a bespoke mental health training to help support farm family members.
The FarmFAMHealth report outlines the mental health outcomes of farm family members in Ireland, exploring the prevalence of symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress and burnout among this population. The report also details the rates of help-seeking intentions for mental health distress, the barriers and facilitators to help-seeking among this population, preferences with regards to intervention development and implementation alongside the population’s priorities for future research areas.
The research identified a need for a bespoke training programme aimed at farm family members specifically which could address the help-seeking intentions, help offering intentions along with the stigma of mental health within the population.
The training has been developed as a 1 hour mental health awareness training for farm family members across Ireland. It is designed to help participants spot the signs of poor mental health in those around them and find ways to support those in need through these periods. The training offers steps participants can take to support those in need of care in a practical and evidence based manner. To accommodate the needs of farm family members, the training is being brought to rural communities free of charge across Ireland, and aims to engage with those most at risk and potentially isolated from other forms of support.
With this training, the FarmFaMHealth group hope to grow a safety net around our rural and farming communities in Ireland, developing a community that understands, cares, and supports those around them, catching and supporting others before distress escalates. The training aims to destigmatise mental health among farm family populations whilst also increasing both their ability and want to support those around them, be it family members, neighbours, friends or acquaintances.
The training walks through how to spot the signs of distress, practical steps to engaging with someone who may need support, how to listen and where participants can direct someone who may need further or professional support. It also provides the practical steps we can all take to better support our own mental health. The training has been designed with the needs of farming families at its core, providing a training that is designed for farm family members, by farm family members.
Trainings will take place in:
- Cork Wednesday 29th July
- Louth Thursday 30th July
- Clare Thursday 13th August
- Donegal Wednesday 19th August
Sign up links for training can be found here.
Other locations to be announced, subject to interest.
If you are unable to attend one of our current offerings, but would like to support those in your community, please don’t hesitate to reach out, contact details are available on the FarmFAMHealth project website.