Rural suicide risk and physical ill health: A qualitative study of the Victorian Suicide Register, 2009-2015

Male Farmers' Perspectives on Psychological Wellbeing Self-Management Strategies That Work for Them and How Barriers to Seeking Professional Mental Health Assistance Could Be Overcome

This research aimed to explore the self-management strategies that Australian male farmers use to improve or maintain their psychological wellbeing and their views on what would assist them to overcome barriers to seeking professional mental health assistance. Individual semi-structured telephone interviews were audio-recorded with consent. Qualitative data were analysed inductively using thematic analysis. Fifteen male farmers participated, who were an average of thirty-nine years of age (23-74 years) with twenty years of farming experience (5-57 years). Seven themes relating to self-management strategies were identified: (1) interacting with a supportive network; (2) involvement in groups and teams; (3) physical activity; (4) proactively educating themselves; (5) self-prioritising and deliberately maintaining work-life balance; (6) being grateful; and (7) focusing on the controllable aspects of farming. Five themes were identified that related to mitigating barriers to seeking mental health assistance: (1) actively welcoming mental health professionals into the community; (2) normalising help-seeking; (3) making seeking mental health assistance a priority; (4) offering services that are culturally appropriate and accessible for male farmers; and (5) tailoring mental health information delivery to farming populations. Australian male farmers already use strategies to maintain and improve their mental health that are culturally and contextually appropriate. These proactive strategies could form the basis of interventions aiming to further promote male farmers' wellbeing. Barriers to seeking professional mental health assistance may be overcome by implementing solutions directly suggested by male farmers. Given the elevated risk of suicide in this group, investment in trialing promotion of these strategies is warranted.