Farming has one of the highest suicide rates of any job in the United States, but little is known about comparable statistics in Canada because most provinces don’t track suicides according to occupation.
The Center for Disease Control in the U.S. released a report on suicide rates in early July using American data from 2012. The study looked at 12,312 suicides from 17 states, and the authors found that jobs performed in rural regions had the highest frequency of suicide.
“Rates … were highest in … farming, fishing, and forestry,” the report said, with 84.5 suicides per 100,000 persons.
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The job category with the second highest rate was construction and extraction, with 53.3 suicides per 100,000.
The authors said they collected and published the data on suicide rates and occupations because the information might help counsellors and medical professionals develop prevention programs for certain jobs.
It would be difficult to provide strategic help for specific occupations in Canada because the relevant data doesn’t exist.
“Unfortunately in Canada … the coroner’s reports don’t specify occupation, so we only have anecdotal evidence,” said Janet Smith, program manager for Manitoba Farm & Rural Support Services.
“They look at demographics like age and gender and region … but they don’t include occupation, which is really a shame.”
Smith said the results of the U.S. study aren’t surprising because farming can be a demanding job.
“What we know … is that it’s one of the most stressful and dangerous occupations.”
The CDC study listed a number of factors that might be responsible for the higher rates of suicide in farming:
- social isolation
- potential for financial losses
- access to lethal means, such as firearms
- unwillingness to seek mental health services
As well, most farmers are males, and suicide is more common among men. The CDC said 78 percent of suicides in 2012 were men and 22 percent women.
Depression and addiction are also major contributors to suicide risk, but it’s unclear if Canadian farmers are more likely to suffer from those ailments.
“There haven’t been very many studies about that,” Smith said.
However, University of Guelph research that was released in late June found that farmers report higher levels of stress than other Canadians.
A survey of 1,100 Canadian producers concluded that 45 percent of survey respondents had high stress, 38 percent had emotional exhaustion and 31 percent said seeking professional help could “stigmatize a person’s life.”
Andria Jones-Bitton, a U of G professor in the department of population medicine, said she is building a team of ag industry reps and health professionals to intervene and develop solutions.
“We need to do something,” she said.
“Farmers want help, and we’re going to find ways for them to receive it.”
Smith said the study is encouraging because researchers aren’t just measuring the mental health of farmers — they plan to do something about it.
“They are … looking at how to develop a mental health literacy program … to develop tools to recognize and respond to farmers in distress and roll that out to front line workers (like) ag reps … veterinarians … anyone who is working with farmers.”
Farmers who need someone to talk to can contact Manitoba Farm & Rural Support Services at 866-367-3276 or www.ruralsupport.ca/
