
A peer-guided mental health program for farmers
supporting farming communities to get Back on Track with their mental health
About Back On Track
Back On Track is an innovative, peer-guided mental health initiative designed to support farming communities. Funded by the Gardiner Foundation and led by the National Centre for Farmer Health, this program focuses on improving mental health outcomes for farmers by providing practical, culturally appropriate support delivered by trusted community members.
How it works
Back On Track offers a supportive, practical approach to improving mental health through:
- A 10 x session program (approximately 1 x hour per week over 10 weeks).
- Guidance from peer coaches trained in behavioural activation—an evidence based method for boosting mood.
- Flexibly delivered to reduce barriers to accessing support.
The program has been co-designed with farming communities to ensure it meet the needs of their community members and is being delivered by trained Back On Track coaches who live and work in Victoria’s farming communities. Our coaches bring both personal experience and specialised training in behavioural activation techniques to help participants develop positive habits and improve their mental health.
The Feasibility Trial
The National Centre for Farmer Health are currently conducting the feasibility trial phase of testing the Back On Track program. We have recruited coaches that have farming backgrounds and strong knowledge of the farming way of life. They have undergone training, including the completion of the Back On Track program. This phase of the trial, as funded by dairy philanthropy the Gardiner Foundation, is being conducted in dairy regions of the Victorian state – the South West, North East and Gippsland.


Participant recruitment for the feasibility trial is now closed, but was accepting members of the farming community who:
- are aged 15+
- reside or work in the target regions
- are experiencing low mood, or depression.
Through conducting this trial we hope to be informed on the following feasibility outcomes of delivering the Back On Track support:
- Recruiting, training and retaining coaches
- Recruiting farming community participants
- If the Behavioural Activation sessions stick to the scripted model.
Through the co-design of the Back On Track program and trial, we have consulted with numerous stakeholders and farming communities, through community consultations, community of practices and reference groups. We look forward to visiting these target regions to feed back the results of the trial, and also to ask for feedback on what went well and ways to improve.
After the completion of the trial, we will gather the data and analyse it. Following this, a summary research paper will be released in early 2026.
Funding and research
The Back On Track feasibility trail is funded by the Gardiner Foundation, led by the National Centre for Farmer Health and supported by an experienced team of researchers and clinicians from Deakin University, Western District Health Service, La Trobe University, Edith Cowan University and the University of South Australia.
Important information
For further information about the Back On Track project, please contact:
Approved by St Vincents HREC Ref: 070/24

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