'Farming Suicide Crisis'

[Selkirk]

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Article Quotes:

"Last year, a study by the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that people working in agriculture – including farmers, farm laborers, ranchers, fishers, and lumber harvesters – take their lives at a rate higher than any other occupation. The data suggested that the suicide rate for agricultural workers in 17 states was nearly five times higher, compared with that in the general population."

"The US farmer suicide crisis echoes a much larger farmer suicide crisis happening globally: an Australian farmer dies by suicide every four days; in the UK, one farmer a week takes his or her own life; in France, one farmer dies by suicide every two days; in India, more than 270,000 farmers have died by suicide since 1995."

Full article: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...record-numbers


This situation isn't new ... it's been going on for years now.
I can only wonder how things are here on Canadian farms.

Selkirk

[Drewski Canuck]

Loneliness, difficulty finding a Partner who wants to participate in the demands, high bank debt, risks and fluctuations in commodity prices, insane risks due to weather or disease or pests, expectations of family members who are no longer on the farm, ....

In the 2000 drought years, when BSE hit, and exotic game farmers saw lifetime investments disappear due to CWD, the best business in small town Alberta was the Funeral home.

Yeah, we owe them a lot, and have to understand that farming grinds down the best of people.

Drewski

[Okotokian]

Top occupation for suicide seems to change from study to study, but usually includes much the same groups in the top ten. Doctors, lawyers, dentists, cops all usually in there too along with agricultural workers.

Some good points as to "why farmers?" in the actual study itself:

"Previous research suggests that farmers’ chronic exposure to pesticides might affect the neurologic system and contribute to depressive symptoms. Other factors that might contribute to suicide among farmers include social isolation, potential for financial losses, barriers to and unwillingness to seek mental health services (which might be limited in rural areas), and access to lethal means."

Another factor which strikes me is that farmers just don't have much control over some major factors in their lives. Weather, crop or input prices, interest rates, etc. Also a lot of constraints to just walking away. You or I might just change jobs. I'm not a farmer but I imagine it's harder to do for someone who is farming land their grandfather and father farmed, and where their kids have grown up.

[Sooner]

I'm lucky that i get to visit many farms through work(ins claims). I meet some top notch people but I can see why they can get depressed. Plant it in the ground at big costs, roll the dice and wait for mother nature to decide your fate. Last years super wet season put this years spring work behind. I'm asking farmers this fall how it went, better than last year but not as good as they thought. They truly are gambling their lively hoods on good weather, good prices and then the system will get their products to market on time.

I tip my hat to them trying to compete with the bigger operations, keeping costs in hand and finding capable workers.

[Selkirk]

All good points made so far ... those ^ posts make for excellent reads.

I tried to find suicide rates in Canada 'buy occupation', but it turned out to be muddled experience, with not much information. I can only guess that data like that may not be reported/studied here in Canada, to any extent. Maybe someone can find something I missed.

Selkirk

[NCC]

Both of my brothers are air traffic controllers. One used to farm and one still does. When asked if being an ATC is stressful, they will both say that farming is far more stressful that being an ATC.

The fear of failure is enormous, and I think many young farmers are teetering on the edge of bankruptcy most of the time.

[Bushrat]

I wonder what the suicide rate in the oil patch and other patch dependant business has been in the last 3 years with all the bankruptcies and fallout of the oil & gas collapse.

[happy honker]

Originally Posted by Bushrat

I wonder what the suicide rate in the oil patch and other patch dependant business has been in the last 3 years with all the bankruptcies and fallout of the oil & gas collapse.

I’m sure there are issues in this industry as well, but I bet it doesn’t compare with carrying the weight and pressure of failing and losing a business and land that has been in a family for 3, 4, or 5 or more generations.