Table 3.
Key farmer mental health risk factors.
| Key Risk Factors | Total Number (and %) of Studies Naming This Stress | Developed Countries (No. and %) | Developing Countries (No. and %) | USA (No. and %) |
Australia (No. and %) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pesticide exposure | 43 (19%) | 25 (15%) | 18 (34%) | 11 (16%) | 1 (2%) |
| Finances in general (input prices/income/profit/market condition) | 39 (18%) | 31 (18%) | 8 (18%) | 14 (21%) | 6 (15%) |
| Weather uncertainty (incl. drought and climate change) | 25 (11%) | 22 (13%) | 3 (5%) | 5 (7%) | 16 (40%) |
| Poor physical health/past injury | 23 (10%) | 18 (10%) | 5 (7%) | 9 (13%) | 1 (2%) |
| Farming in general/heavy workload/stress/hazards in farming | 17 (8%) | 12 (7%) | 5 (11%) | 7 (10%) | 2 (5%) |
| Government policies and regulations/paper-work | 14 (6%) | 13 (8%) | 1 (2%) | 5 (7%) | 2 (5%) |
| Isolation/loneliness/lack of social relationships | 14 (6%) | 11 (7%) | 3 (7%) | 4 (6%) | 2 (5%) |
| Concern about the future of the farm/animal disease/machinery breakdown | 12 (5%) | 12 (7%) | 0 (0%) | 3 (4%) | 2 (5%) |
| Working with family (role conflict) | 12 (5%) | 11 (7%) | 1 (2%) | 5 (7%) | 2 (5%) |
| Time pressure | 9 (4%) | 7 (4%) | 2 (5%) | 2 (3%) | 2 (5%) |
| Other issues—no theme identified (e.g., paddy glut/firearm exposure/media criticism/coal seam gas/electricity irrigation costs development/leaving family for work/community characteristics/work ability/lack of skilled labour/living condition/poor housing)/poor access to market information/levels of mindfulness | 14 (6%) | 10 (5%) | 5 (9%) | 4 (6%) | 5 (12%) |
Note: Percent totals may not exactly sum to 100% due to rounding.