The second Agriculture Mental Health and Wellbeing Roundtable was held in Brisbane, on 4 September 2024. The roundtable was hosted by the Hon. Mark Furner MP, Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries and Minister for Rural Communities and the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.
The purpose of the Roundtable was to identify gaps across wellbeing and mental health service delivery frameworks with a view to improve resilience in the agriculture sector across Queensland. The roundtable brought together government, industry, peaks, and service delivery stakeholders to discuss and propose solutions for supporting the mental health and wellbeing of people in the agricultural sector across Queensland.
Amelia Callaghan, Acting Chief Executive, Queensland Mental Health Commission (the Commission) attended and presented to the roundtable. She spoke to Queensland’s commitment to Mental Health and Wellbeing, existing investment in improving mental health, alcohol and other drugs and suicide prevention outcomes in rural areas, and the new $9 million Mental Health and Wellbeing Grants program.
With approximately 88% of jobs in agriculture being regionally based, the agricultural industry is the backbone and social fabric of many rural and regional communities in Queensland. However, people working in the agricultural industry, including farmers and those living in rural, regional and remote areas, often face unique challenges and barriers due to geographical isolation, dispersed infrastructure, and more limited access to supports and service.
According to Norco’s National Farmer Wellbeing Report, the top three factors impacting farmer mental health in 2023 were weather or natural disasters, financial stress and inflation and cost pressures.
Enhancing, supporting and building community capacity and resilience, including responses to natural disasters is a key priority in Shifting Minds: The Queensland Mental Health, Alcohol and Other Drugs, and Suicide Prevention Strategic Plan 2023-2028 (Shifting Minds). Shifting Minds acknowledges structural and system barriers such as limited services or workforce must be addressed and supports must be tailored to improve mental health and wellbeing outcomes for people in rural and remote areas.
Thriving Lives, Connected Communities: Queensland’s Commitment to Mental Health and Wellbeing which was developed by Health and Wellbeing Queensland, in partnership with the Commission recognises the importance of collaborating with people working in the agricultural industry to build tailored supports.
A key outcome of the Agriculture Mental Health and Wellbeing Roundtable was to establish a cross agency working group. The Commission will contribute to this group and continue working with the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries to support enhancing mental health and wellbeing in the agricultural sector.
