The facts of rural life belie town-dwellers? misconceptions of an idyllic country existence. Evidence shows that 25 per cent of households in rural areas are on or below the breadline, and more farm-workers have relied on social security benefits than any other group.

A survey of over 500 farmers conducted by "Farmers Weekly" in 1993 found that one in three farmers feel depressed, while nearly two thirds said they feel more stressed than they did five years ago.

Long hours, BSE, the foot and mouth crisis, and the collapse of beef, lamb and milk prices have sent rural incomes plummetting. In 1992 over 14,000 people left the agricultural industry. [47]

Farmers and farm managers are the occupational group with the fourth highest risk of suicide in England and Wales. In the early 1980s farmers were the occupational group with the second highest suicide rate, however, in the period between 1982 and 1992 this dropped from 2.05 times the average risk to 1.45 times. However, the actual figures are likely to be substantially higher than this as the percentage of "open" or "undetermined" deaths for farmers is very high, and there is substantial evidence that the majority of these are suicides. [48]

Women married to farmers have a suicide rate more than 20 per cent higher than the average. [49] There is particular concern at the rise in the number of suicides in rural areas of Wales.

The suicide rate generally in Wales is 14.6 per cent higher than in England. Male suicides account for 84 per cent of the suicides in Wales compared with 75 per cent generally.

It is clear that farmers who commit suicide tend to use methods which are readily available to them because of their occupation. Firearms are a common method of suicide amongst farmers, as is hanging.

While self-poisoning is less common than in the general population, more than half the poisonings involve the use of agricultural and horticultural chemicals. [50]

The Hawton study of "Methods Used for Suicide by Farmers in England and Wales" concludes that the current extensive ownership of firearms by farmers should be questioned. In addition, where a farmer is known to be depressed, or otherwise at risk of suicide, families should be encouraged to limit access to firearms and other dangerous means such as agricultural poisons.

[51] Hawton suggests that clinicians treating depressed farmers could clearly have a role in encouraging this as he points out that approximately half of all depressed farmers who killed themselves were receiving treatment for depression.

Mind is to recommend to the Department of Health that access to firearms by farmers is reduced in the hope of lowering the number of suicides in the farming community.

It is claimed that the rate of suicide by firearms fell after 1989 as a direct consequence of reduced access to firearms caused by the 1988 Firearms (amendment) Act [52] , therefore, further reducing access to firearms amongst farmers will further reduce the rate of suicide by firearms.

The Department of Health has contributed towards the cost of funding rural initiatives as part of their response to "The Health of the Nation" suicide reduction targets.

The Samaritans have launched initiatives in Somerset, Oxfordshire, Derbyshire and Gloucestershire to focus public concern on the plight of rural communities and to alert the farming and rural communities to the help that is available.

RuralMinds, a partnership between Mind and the Department of Health has been set up to improve the mental health of people living in isolated rural areas.

In the wake of the Foot and Mouth epidemic of 2001, RuralMinds set up a "First Aid Kit" which was distributed in rural areas. The First Aid Kit details resources of use to people in distress in rural areas.

SMHAI Home | About Suicide | About Mental Health | Suicide Prevention | Suicide Survivors
Suicide Attempters | Self-Injury - Cutters | Crisis | Donate | SMHAI Library | Online Support & Resources
Speakers & Presentations | Memorials, Remebrances & Celebrations Of Life | Healing Music
Suggested Reading - Survivors | Suggested Reading - Attempters & Self-Injurers | Mental Health Pros.
Upcoming Events | Dr. Roerich's Welcome | Ann Gay's Welcome | Legal & About SMHAI
Privacy Policy | Copyright Notice | Awards Honoring SMHAI | SMHAI Awards Program | Contact

© SMHAI 2004 - 2006 All Rights Reserved.
No copying or redistribution without expressed written permission of SMHAI.
Logo Design by Allen R. Jacobson.
Site launched July 01, 2004.