Table 3. A comparison of mental health research conducted in farming populations worldwide (n = 341).
Studies may have reported on more than one mental health outcome.
| Suicide | Stress | Depression | Anxiety | Resilience | Mortality | Burnout | Mental Health Service | Non-specified mental health outcome | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Publication range | 1990–2017 | 1979–2017 | 1980–2107 | 1980–2017 | 1980–2017 | 2002–2016 | 2016–2017 | 1998–2016 | 1979–2017 | |
| Number of studies | 113 (33.1) | 143 (41.9) | 111 (32.6) | 51 (15.0) | 20 (5.9) | 7 (2.1) | 2 (0.6) | 20 (5.9) | 25 (7.3) | |
| Population | ||||||||||
| Farm type | Animal farming | 1 (0.9) | 37 (25.9) | 9 (8.1) | 7 (13.7) | 5 (25.0) | 0 | 1 (50.0) | 2 (10.0) | 4 (16.0) |
| Crop/Horticultue farming | 14 (12.4) | 25 (17.5) | 12 (10.8) | 6 (11.8) | 3 (15.0) | 2 (28.6) | 0 | 0 | 1 (4.0) | |
| Both | 9 (8.0) | 14 (10.0) | 6 (5.4) | 3 (5.9) | 0 | 1 (14.3) | 0 | 0 | 2 (8.0) | |
| No reported farm type | 89 (78.8) | 67 (46.9) | 84 (75.7) | 35 (68.6) | 12 (60.0) | 4 (57.1) | 1 (50.0) | 18 (90.0) | 18 (72.0) | |
| Individual level1 | ||||||||||
| Farmer: dairy | 9 (8.0) | 26 (18.2) | 9 (8.1) | 4 (7.8) | 3 (15.0) | 0 | 1 (50.0) | 1 (5.0) | 4 (16.0) | |
| Farmers: beef | 6 (5.3) | 14 (9.8) | 7 (6.3) | 3 (5.9) | 2 (10.0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 (8.0) | |
| Farmer: swine | 4 (3.5) | 7 (4.9) | 1 (0.9) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (5.0) | 4 (16.0) | |
| Farmer: small ruminants | 8 (7.1) | 11 (7.7) | 3 (2.7) | 0 | 1 (5.0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 (8.0) | |
| Farmer: poultry | 5 (4.4) | 5 (3.5) | 2 (1.8) | 1 (2.0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 (12.0) | |
| Farmer: aquaculture | 2 (1.8) | 2 (1.4) | 1 (0.9) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Farmer: crops | 23 (20.4) | 21 (14.7) | 14 (12.6) | 6 (11.8) | 3 (15.0) | 3 (42.9) | 0 | 0 | 3 (16.0) | |
| Farmer: horticulture | 8 (7.1) | 11 (7.7) | 6 (5.4) | 3 (5.9) | 2 (10.0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Farmer: other commodity2 | 3 (2.7) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (0.9) | 1 (2.0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (4.00) | |
| Farm families | 7 (6.2) | 36 (25.2) | 18 (16.2) | 5 (9.8) | 8 (40.0) | 1 (14.3) | 0 | 8 (40.0) | 3 (12.0) | |
| Migrant farm workers | 2 (1.8) | 28 (19.6) | 29 (26.1) | 15 (29.4) | 1 (5.0) | 0 | 0 | 1 (5.0) | 4 (16.0) | |
| Permanent farm workers | 17 (15.0) | 12 (8.4) | 10 (9.0) | 4 (7.8) | 0 | 3 (42.9) | 0 | 2 (10.0) | 2 (8.0) | |
| Female farmers | 2 (1.8) | 7 (4.9) | 10 (9.0) | 5 (9.8) | 2 (10.0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Male farmers | 6 (5.3) | 2 (1.4) | 5 (4.5) | 2 (3.9) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (5.0) | 0 | |
| Study Type | ||||||||||
| Quantitative | 72 (63.7) | 101 (70.6) | 93 (83.7) | 43 (84.3) | 12 (60.0) | 3 (42.9) | 2 (100.0) | 8 (40.0) | 16 (80.0) | |
| Qualitative | 20 (17.7) | 22 (15.4) | 4 (3.6) | 3 (5.9) | 4 (20.0) | 1 (14.3) | 0 | 3 (15.0) | 5 (20.0) | |
| Mixed methods | 5 (4.4) | 11(7.7) | 5 (4.5) | 2 (3.9) | 2 (10.0) | 1 (14.3) | 0 | 5 (25.0) | 3 (12.0) | |
| Review/governmental report | 16 (14.2) | 9 (6.3) | 9 (8.1) | 3 (5.9) | 2 (10.0) | 2 (28.6) | 0 | 4 (20.0) | 1 (4.0) | |
| Study Design | ||||||||||
| Cross-sectional | 26 (23.0) | 61 (42.7) | 67 (60.4) | 32 (62.8) | 10 (50.0) | 0 | 2 (100.0) | 2 (10.0) | 13 (52.0) | |
| Case-control | 13 (11.5) | 5 (3.5) | 2 (1.8) | 1 (2.0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Cohort | 38 (33.6) | 30 (21.0) | 20 (18.0) | 7 (13.7) | 1 (5.0) | 3 (42.9) | 0 | 1 (5.0) | 2 (8.0) | |
| Quasi-experimental | 0 | 2 (1.4) | 1 (0.9) | 3 (5.9) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Randomized Control Trial | 0 | 0 | 2 (1.8) | 1 (2.0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 (10.0) | 0 | |
| Phenomenology | 10 (8.9) | 25 (17.5) | 8 (7.2) | 3 (5.9) | 6 (30.0) | 2 (28.6) | 0 | 2 (10.0) | 7 (28.0) | |
| Ethnography | 2 (1.4) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Case Study | 4 (3.5) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Service Evaluation | 1 (0.9) | 2 (1.4) | 1 (0.9) | 1 (2.0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 (35.0) | 0 | |
|
Scale development/ validity testing |
0 | 2 (1.4) | 1 (0.9) | 0 | 1 (5.0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (4.0) | |
| Theoretical framework development | 2 (1.8) | 1 (0.7) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (5.0) | 1 (4.0) | |
| Literature Review | 19 (16.8) | 13 (9.1) | 9 (8.11) | 3 (5.9) | 2 (10.0) | 2 (28.6) | 0 | 5 (25.0) | 1 (4.0) | |
Note: Studies could contribute to more than one farm type or individual level. Therefore, columns may not add to 100%.
1More than one individual level group could be investigated within one study. Therefore, numbers will not add to 100%.
2Other animal farmers included equine, livestock (unidentified), and worms (silk and compost).