Directors Blog – Podcast with the University of Iowa: Knowing the territory

This week, Alexis and Steve from the University of Iowa welcome Dr. Susan Brumby to the program. Dr. Brumby is the founding director of the National Centre for Farmer Health, an innovative partnership between Western District Health Service and Deakin University Australia.

She discusses the issues surrounding the health, wellbeing and safety of farmers and agricultural workers and how a practical understanding of rural communities helps create meaningful connections.

Read more about Dr. Brumby: https://www.rrh.org.au/journal/profile/9630/susan_brumby

A transcript of this episode is available at https://bit.ly/3g5jzn6

Farmer Health eNews December 2020

Find out all the latest from the National Centre for Farmer Health

• Help to manage the holiday and harvest season
• Australia’s only postgraduate Agricultural Health and Medicine unit (HMF701) goes online in 2021 for the first time!
• Join our PPKN Community Champions Network
• Wellness Wednesday

View the December 2020 eNews

Read past issues of eNews

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2020-11-23: Research looks at early suicide triggers – Farm Weekly

by Bree Swift

RESEARCH to develop more targeted suicide prevention strategies for farmers is being undertaken by the National Centre for Farmer Health.

AgSPACE is an agricultural suicide prevention project that analyses coronial evidence to reduce the reliance of anecdotal reporting of suicide in rural farming communites.

A partnership between Deakin University and the Western District Health Service, Victoria, the project aims to demystify farmer suicide and compare suicide data of Australian farming regions.

“The work is focussed on prevention and early identification of risk factors associated with farming populations, their health, wellbeing and safety,” said National Centre for Farmer Health research fellow Alison Kennedy.

The first stage of research was based on 1298 non-metropolitan suicide deaths, 133 of which were determined as farming related.

The project found that farming related suicides were more likely to occur with people who were identified as employed and less likely to have received mental health treatment more than six weeks before death.

“We found farming related suicides were less likely to be diagnosed with a mental illness and particularly a mood disorder and that may be through lower rates of diagnosis, but it also may be through reduced access to services and the flow-on effect of opportunities to have a condition diagnosed,” Ms Kennedy said.

“When people were seeking support it was more likely to be in that crisis stage.

“People were also less likely to have received mental health treatment from their GP and, we do know, often people in farming communities who struggle with their mental health are more likely to present to a GP with a physical health condition rather than their mental health condition – so that’s something to keep in mind for prevention efforts.

The second stage of the AgSPACE project took a more in-depth look at 820 rural suicide deaths and found that living with physical ill health within a rural area was a common theme, with limited specialist services, long wait times, the requirement for significant travel and cultural barriers to accessing health care (in that people didn’t like to ask for help and seek assistance) was prevalent.

“There was an unwillingness to confide in others about health and sometimes that even extended to family members and people within their friendship groups,” Ms Kennedy said.

“Physical ill health really increased that sense of isolation and that sense of geographic isolation really enhanced the sense of social isolation.”

Injuries often related to work, including farming or vehicle accidents that cause chronic pain were identified as a theme in the second stage of research

“There was a burden of not being able to actively contribute to work (particularly farming), family and society and a real shame and stigma surrounding the inability to manage pain on their psychological capacities,” Ms Kennedy said.

Following the outcomes of the AgSPACE research, the National Centre for Farmer Health has recommended the need for a culturally competent rural health workforce that understands the risks faced by those living in rural communities and the culture and context in which they live and work.

“We need methods where we can engage with people early in the piece so we can look after their physical and psychosocial health,” Ms Kennedy

Alternative support delivery is an area which the organisation plans to focus on through its MH4Ag program.

The program is focussed on developing a framework to deliver peer supported psychological therapy to farm community members experiencing depression or psychological distress by taking a pragmatic approach to therapy that ties into how farming communities operate.

The second aim of the project is to work with farmers and stakeholders to develop a personalised, practical action plan to help improve farmers and farming community members’ ability to proactively focus on what to do in a challenging situation, rather than what not to do.

“We’re in the co-design stage of this project and we are running some workshops to determine what the peer-supported delivery will look like, who would be most effective to deliver it, what training would be required and what are the most effective methods of engaging the community,” Ms Kennedy said.

“We have also engaged a working group to help us develop the action plan.”

For more information visit the National Centre for Farmer Health website https://farmerhealth.org.au

• If you or someone you know needs assistance, call lifeline on 13 11 14 or RuralLink, a specialist after-hours mental health telephone service for WA rural communities on freecall 1800 552 002.

Ideas to help manage the holiday and harvest season

In what has already been a challenging few years, we are approaching a season predicted to challenge us all even further. Managing the ‘end of year rush’, farm-related fatigue, over-indulgence in food and alcohol, and the challenges of social interaction (or isolation) means this is not always the joyful time portrayed.

Farmer Health resources:

Practical ways to support your mental health:

• Managing Stress on the Farm booklet CLICK HERE
• If you need professional support during this time, our Online Psychology service is available CLICK HERE

Fact sheets which are particularly helpful at this time of the year:

• Fatigue
• Farm Safety – harvest health
• Fueling Farmers – Healthy lunchbox ideas
• Alcohol
• Relationships and family
• Stress

Learn where you live – Agricultural Health and Medicine goes online in 2021

For the first time in twelve years Australia’s only postgraduate agricultural health and medicine unit is going online for 2021. This internationally recognised, multidisciplinary course better equips health providers, rural professionals and our rural communities with the knowledge and skills they need to live, work and prosper. To date, over 230 professionals working in agriculture, medicine, allied health, and nursing from across Australia, New Zealand, India, Indonesia, Africa and the UK have undertaken the unit which confronts the high rate of injuries, fatalities and non-communicable diseases experienced by farming families and their communities.

Unit chair Dr Jacquie Cotton says “The global pandemic event of 2020 has changed the way we teach and work. This means that you can now learn where you live, and by moving the course online enable our international and interstate students to study with us in 2021.”  

The exciting 5-day intensive will be held online from February 22^nd – 26^th 2021 as a key part of the online unit. Agricultural Health and Medicine unit (HMF701) offered through Deakin University, School of Medicine. The presenters cover a broad range of health, safety and wellbeing issues ranging from mental illness and addiction through to emergency medicine, agrichemicals, zoonotic disease, non-communicable disease and agricultural trauma.

The course material shifts focus with the changing nature of adversity and health challenges faced by rural and remote agricultural communities, providing graduates with the necessary skills and knowledge to improve the social, physical and mental health of agricultural workforces and farming women, men and children across Australia.

NCFH Agrihealth professional, RN, and Agricultural Health and Medicine graduate, Amelia Cottrell from NSW is one of a team of rural nurses using their expert understanding of Agricultural Health to work with farmers and agricultural workers across the country. “The National Centre for Farmer Health has helped me fulfil my passion to improve the health and wellbeing of rural communities through conducting health assessments and educating farmers about the health risks associated with the agricultural industry and to make a positive change to farmers’ lives.” RN Amelia Cottrell said

Dr Cotton says “Registered nurses who successfully complete Agricultural Health and Medicine and meet requirements, are also ideally placed to join Australia’s only AgriSafe™ network.

To find out more about scholarships, AgriSafe™ career opportunities or apply for the Graduate Certificate of Agricultural Health and Medicine, visit www.farmerhealth.org.au/education, contact Dr Jacquie Cotton 03 5551 8533 or email j.cotton@deakin.edu.au.

 
*** ENDS ***

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: 

National Centre for Farmer Health:
Dr Susan Brumby
Phone: 03 5551 8460
or
Dr Jacquie Cotton
Phone: 03 5551 8585, 0409 287 497
Email: j.cotton@deakin.edu.au

Farmer Health eNews November 2020

Find out all the latest from the National Centre for Farmer Health

• Ag Health and Medicine goes ONLINE in 2021!
• Gear Up for Ag Health and Safety Programs available free of charge in 2021 thanks to the Victorian Government’s Smarter, Safer Farms initiative
• SnapshotRuralVic Awards and Book Launch event
• Wellness Wednesday

View the November 2020 eNews

Read past issues of eNews

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Women’s Health Week – catch up with Jodie Leske

Jodie Leske is a mum, business owner and farmer living in the Western District of Victoria, 259 kilometres west of Melbourne.

Like many women on the land, finding the time to look after her health is a constant challenge. Between juggling the usual daily demands of work and family, and on top of this, the distances needed to travel to some health services, Jodie’s health can take a back seat.

“It’s very easy to get caught up in being really busy getting the job done,” says Jodie. But Jodie acknowledges that her health and wellbeing are also really important, so she makes sure she finds time for herself. Whether it’s getting off the farm to see other people, doing some physical activity or finding down time. “It’s easy to get caught up, but it’s also important to stop.”

Jodie also knows her health is important not just to her, but her family and community. “With my health, I find if I’m not feeling right everyone feels it. It’s really important to look after yourself as well as everybody else around you.”

2020-10-06: Rural life in the spotlight – Sentinel Times

Greg Beal captured this photo of South Gippsland for the #SnapshotRuralVic campaign.

#SNAPSHOTRURALVIC, an initiative of the National Centre for Farmer Health, is bringing country Victorians together to tell a unique story of rural life during the second wave of COVID-19 lockdown.
Since launching over seven weeks ago, more than 1000 people have shared their photos and stories of everyday rural life over a number of social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and the farmerhealth.org website.

During a time when people are more disconnected than ever, it proved to be a valuable outlet for people to connect and share aspects of how life goes on during lockdown.

One participant noted #SnapshotRuralVic “picked me up when feeling down and I enjoyed the positive and motivating pictures.”

Social media analytics show both rural and metropolitan areas are joining in with feedback received from the participants overwhelmingly positive.

Project officer Hilary McAllister said it had been encouraging to see the simple act of sharing a photo or story was keeping other people motivated during this lockdown.

Each week, there was a new theme, such as COVID cooking, masks on farms and stories from the shed.
“Some of the photos of the projects that people have been doing have been simply amazing,” Ms McAllister said.
A weekly shortlist of the entries also go in the running to win the People’s Choice award with the lucky winner receiving a $100 voucher to a local Victorian business of their choice.

With only a few weeks remaining, the National Centre for Farmer Health is hoping to see the community continue to grow. The campaign will culminate at the #SnapshotRuralVic Awards which will take place virtually in early November.

All submissions across the 10 weeks of the campaign will be considered for judging, with categories including ‘Celebrating the Next Generation’, ‘Lamb of the Year’ and ‘Best COVID-Kitchen Creation’. The campaign will conclude on Friday, November 6.

For further information, visit farmerhealth.org.au/snapshotruralvic or reach out to the Snapshot Online project officer, Hilary McAllister, directly at hmcallister@wdhs.net or on 0490 483 548 for more information.

Farmers, Suicide Literacy and Suicide Stigma – The Ripple Effect

Background: Globally many farming populations have been identified as having higher rates of suicide, in comparison to those living in metropolitan, rural and regional communities. The reasons for this are unclear although occupational risk and stigma are considered risk factors. This Australian study sought to understand the role of suicide literacy and suicide stigma in farming and rural populations and the relationship between these.

Methods: A mixed-methods online intervention was developed. This presentation reports on baseline quantitative data of suicide literacy, stigma and suicide effect collected from male and female rural Australian participants (N = 536) with an experience of suicide (attempted, considered, bereaved by, cared for, or any other experience).

Results: Our cohort demonstrated higher levels of stigma and significantly higher levels of suicide literacy when compared with previous Australian community samples. Males were also more likely to have considered suicide than females. Females were more likely than males to report a devastating and ongoing effect of suicide bereavement/s.

Conclusion: This study reiterates the clear need for much improved understanding of the risk factors for suicide and the experience of suicide that occurs within the life and work in farming communities. Importantly it identifies that increased literacy (intended to decrease risk) does not necessarily correspond with decreased rates or experience of suicide. How can we apply and adapt ‘best practice’ in farmer suicide prevention to reduce stigma and improve prevention efforts.

Farmer Health eNews October 2020

Find out all the latest from the National Centre for Farmer Health

• Are you our next Scholarship recipient? HMF701 Scholarships are now OPEN!
• National Centre for Farmer Health new website launch
• Mental Health 4 Ag – Your time can make a big difference!
• Wellness Wednesday

View the October 2020 eNews

Read past issues of eNews

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Directors Blog – Hearten up! Heart health matters

by Dr Susan Brumby
Twitter: @brumby_susan

Your heart is an amazing pump. Weighing in at 300 grams it  pumps 6500 – 7000 litres per day[1]. Every day you expect your heart to beat 100,000 times without stopping 365 days of the year. We hope our hearts will continue to beat consistently for 80 – 90 years. This is a big ask and perhaps  unsurprising that cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death with 21 people dying every day in Australia[2].

COVID-19 has not meant that heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular issues have stopped occurring, rather that people have put off getting treatment and seeking help.   Many, many people have delayed or had to postpone cardiac specialist appointments because of COVID – 19.  Whilst putting off appointments is understandable, a recent study undertaken during the COVID lockdown has shown the number of Victorian patients with severe chest pain attending hospital was reduced.  Those that did attend were waiting much longer than usual to seek emergency medical treatment[3].  Time matters with heart attacks. In fact, every minute counts, because saving heart muscle depends on getting treatment quickly and early.

Unfortunately rural and remote people have higher levels of heart disease [4].  A study undertaken with Victorian farmers showed that even before COVID-19 farmers were likely to stay at home when they experienced chest pain, and paradoxically, the further they lived from an emergency department the longer they delayed seeking help [5].  Exactly the opposite of what you need to do. To save heart muscle you need to get assistance quickly.

People experiencing 10 minutes or more of chest pain should seek medical advice quickly. The further the distance from help the earlier you should seek assistance.  That assistance /advice should be an emergency department with facilities to treat a heart attack – not a general practice clinic.  Austin Health cardiologist Dr. Matias Yudi said during the COVID-19 lockdown, “We don’t yet know how many patients may have never presented at hospital or potentially died after having heart attacks,”. He noted that people who delayed treatment for heart attacks were at risk of other complications such as heart failure from the loss of heart muscle, fluid build-up in lungs and a decreased lifespan[6].

Rural and remote populations have shorter life expectancy than metropolitan populations. So make the time to research your family heart history, have a check-up with your GP and follow up on any appointments that you had.

Remember: If you have chest pain lasting more than 10 minutes and are delaying seeking help, think about your heart and the job it does for you every single day and call triple zero (000).

Does 20-Minute Rounding Reduce Falls in an Aged-Care Setting? A Pilot Intervention Study.

Highlights

• The study investigated if 20-min rounding reduced falls in aged-care facilities.
• Overall, falls were reduced for residents of the aged-care facilities.
• No severe falls occurred during the intervention period.
• This is compared to three in the previous six months.
• There were no differences in falls for the intervention group.