Farmer Health eNews September 2016
Find out all the latest from the National Centre for Farmer Health
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Run 4 Farmer Health – Sunday 16th October – LETS MAKE 100 RUNNERS!
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Supporting the health and wellbeing of Dairy Farmers
- In North East Victoria
- South Gippsland Dairy Expo – 28/29 September
- Elmore Field Days – 4/5/6 October with Rural Bank
- Visit our Support Page for useful links and our free “Managing Stress on the Farm” book
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Wellness Wednesday Topics
Initial destination hospital of paediatric prehospital patients in rural Victoria
The objective of this present study was to describe the initial destination hospital of paediatric patients transported by Ambulance Victoria paramedics within the South Western area of Victoria to determine the proportion of patients that bypassed their closest hospital.
Ageing, chronic disease and injury: a study in western Victoria (Australia)
An increasing burden of chronic disease and associated health service delivery is expected due to the ageing Australian population. Injuries also affect health and wellbeing and have a long-term impact on health service utilisation. There is a lack of comprehensive data on disease and injury in rural and regional areas of Australia. The
aim of the Ageing, Chronic Disease and Injury study is to compile data from various sources to better describe the patterns of chronic disease and injury across western Victoria.
Research protocol for a digital intervention to reduce stigma among males with a personal experience of suicide in the Australian farming community
Australian farming communities have up to twice the suicide rate of the general population. Men, particularly, demonstrate debilitating self- and perceived-stigma associated with an experience of suicide. The Ripple Effect is aimed to reduce suicide stigma within the social, cultural, geographical and psychological contexts in which it occurs.
2016-08-16: Wyche Farmers Wiser on Health – The Buloke Times
2016-08-19: Wycheproof farmers attend health workshop – Stock and Land
Farmers from Wycheproof recently took part in a workshop designed to improve the health, wellbeing and safety of farm families.
Sustainable Farm Families is an initiative by the National Centre for Farmer Health, Hamilton, which covers areas such as cardiovascular disease, farm safety, diabetes, stress, nutrition, and men and women’s health.
It aims to identify and track farming health indicators, and include these in farm management quality assurance processes.
The program is delivered in partnership with Agriculture Victoria and the Drought Support Package, East Wimmera Health Service, Wycheproof Resource Centre and Birchip Cropping Group (BCG).
BCG project manager Louisa Ferrier said that 10 farmers from Wycheproof attended the workshop in late July after they were first assessed by a local health professional.
“At the conclusion of the workshop, many participants expressed how surprised they were at how much they took away from it and how much it has made them think,” Ms Ferrier said.
Trevor Allan, Wycheproof, a farmer who attended the two-day workshop, said it was worth the time spent.
“I was surprised by how much was packed into the workshop and hope others take up the opportunity if it comes up in the region in the future,” Mr Allan said.
Participants from Wycheproof will return to complete another workshop in February 2017.
Those identified as high-risk will be referred to for follow up by appropriate health professionals.
Other workshops will be held in Yaapeet on September 6, and in Stanhope and Edenhope on yet to be determined dates.
For more information, visit the National Centre for Farmer Health.
To view article: 2016-08-19: Wycheproof farmers attend health workshop – Stock and Land
2016-08-06: Focus on Health – Hamilton Spectator Farming Focus
By Rick Koenig
2016-08-01: Ripple effect through rural communities – Gannawarra Times
By Shelby Garlick
NESTLED away on an 800-hectare farm near the banks of the Murray River, outside the small farming town of Barham, is an avocado farm taking Melbourne’s café scene by storm.
Katrina Myers, along with her husband and young family, lovingly tend to the same paddocks that four generations of Katrina’s family have cared for before them.
If you’ve been to Melbourne’s popular cafe Top Paddock, and sampled their famous bacon and eggs with mashed avocado, you’ve probably had one of her delicious ‘Barham avos’.
But getting her avocados from paddock to plate hasn’t been without its struggles for Katrina.
At a young age she lost her father to suicide. And to her, mental health is everything.
“His death has affected me throughout my life in various ways and probably more as an adult and as a mother than it did at the time,” she says.
“There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t miss him and wonder what things would be like if he was here.”
Katrina’s story isn’t a stand-alone story and reflects the widespread problem of mental health in rural areas.
Men in remote areas are 2.6 times more likely to end their lives by suicide than those in metropolitan areas, according to a report by the Australian Institute for Health and Welfare.
Recently dairy farmers were thrown into the spotlight after a battle erupted over the price of milk.
Most news reports discussed the financial ramifications of the price drop, but the focus then shifted towards the effect it was having on their mental health.
Dairy farmer, Wayne Johnson, who was interviewed on Channel 10’s The Project, said on air: “The news really hit me when I finally caught up with my wife and she looked straight at me and said, ‘if it wasn’t for me and the children, she’d probably kill herself.’ ”
Katrina said: “People forget the huge strain on women who are supporting men who have depression and I would certainly like to see more support for women.
“The focus definitely tends to be on men but I feel there are many women who are coping with some form of mental illness, whether their own battles or from supporting their partners.”
Mental health among people from rural areas isn’t a new issue.
During the 1980s and ’90s a farmer died by suicide every four days, which amounted to 92 suicides per year, according to a 2002 report from the University of Sydney.
Dr Samara McPhedran, a senior research fellow at Griffith University, said farmer suicide rates have come down, but the issue hasn’t been studied enough for medical professionals to have a clear understanding.
“To effectively prevent farmer suicides it is vital to acknowledge the complex set of challenges farmers face,” says Dr McPhedran.
George Bender, a well-known anti-coal seam gas farmer in Queensland, died by suicide in October last year.
Bender’s suicide has been blamed by his family on his decade-long fight to keep Origin Energy off his 2000-acre farm.
Dr McPhedran says too often people assume there is a clear connection between natural disasters, drought and farmer suicide.
“There are many individual and contextual circumstances, both environmental and psychosocial stressors associated with farmer suicide,” says Dr McPhedran.
Prolonged drought, natural disasters, financial hardship, pricing of agricultural commodities and a shift away from rural industries, primary production policy changes and decreasing political representation can all be factors.
Studies have found farmers have a higher likelihood of experiencing social isolation due to long working hours and geographic remoteness.
Katrina had always wanted to get involved with advocating for mental health and for prevention and a holistic approach to treatment.
When she heard about The Ripple Effect project, she applied to be on the steering committee.
The Ripple Effect is an online intervention program designed to investigate what works to reduce the stigma among males from the farming community who have been affected by suicide.
To view full article: 2016-08-01: Ripple effect through rural communities – Gannawarra Times
2016-08-03: Website to reduce suicide stigma – The Border Watch
COMMUNITY AT HEART: Livestock SA’s southern region secretary Tom Dawkins is helping to reduce the stigma associated with suicide by encouraging farmers and other rural community members to participate in the Ripple Effect.
THE National Centre for Farmer Health, based at Hamilton in Victoria, has launched a website designed to identify the views of regional communities on suicide.
The Ripple Effect website enables farmers to anonymously register and view other farmers’ stories of suicide, share their own insights and find out what they can do to support the wellbeing of others and themselves.
A number of Ripple Effect “Community Champions” have been enlisted to promote the initiative.
Working in this capacity is Tom Dawkins from Naracoorte, who was approached to be a community champion because of his work as a journalist in raising rural suicide awareness.
“As a community, I think we are probably more willing than ever to have a conversation about suicide rather than ignoring it,” Mr Dawkins said.
“Increasingly, those who have been directly impacted by suicide are willing and able to share their experiences.
“That is why the Ripple Effect is an important and very timely way to help reduce the stigma associated with suicide, especially in rural communities like ours.”
Mr Dawkins, who is also promoting the Ripple Effect via his role as secretary of Livestock SA’s southern region, said no community was immune from the tragedy of suicide.
“Suicide is not just incredibly tragic, in most cases it is preventable,” he said.
“And the sad fact is if you are a farmer, or work in agriculture, you know or know of someone who has taken their life.
“If people realise there are solutions and understand life can go on, then we can help make an urgently needed change.”
Mr Dawkins has been confronted by the tragedy of suicide during his career in agricultural media and said it was no longer acceptable for journalists to ignore their increasingly important role helping to facilitate the community discussion about suicide.
“Too many families and friends of people who have killed themselves have had to survive the fallout and, as we see far too often, the ripple effect of such a loss can really tear at the fabric of families and local communities,” he said.
“I am pleased to support this project because rural Australia needs to turn the negative ripple of suicide and stigma into a tsunami of action and support.”
Alison Kennedy from The National Centre for Farmer Health said Ripple Effect’s aim was to build the first, accurate, national insight into what is in the minds of our farmers, what their stories and opinions are, and get that to the people who can help make a difference.
Ms Kennedy said if agricultural Australia was going to turn back the tide of suicide in farming communities it needs support and it will not get support unless it has accurate information.
“The cumulative stress of modern day farming, juggling debt and volatile commodity markets, climate change, family pressures, illness and injury, and dealing with it all in the isolation of the average working day, puts farmers at a higher risk of suicide,” Ms Kennedy said.
“Everyone knows about it, for years everyone has danced around it, always too concerned to talk openly about it.
“You can die of anything except your own hand because at that point no one really knows what to do next.”
Ms Kennedy said the lack of knowledge was a huge problem.
“We are really hoping we can tap into the experiences of our farmers, everywhere in the country, and hear about the things they rarely tell anyone else,” she said.
“But now you can tell us, anonymously, on the Ripple Effect website.
“And every bit of anonymous information will be processed and analysed so we can get it to everyone who can help.
“So please help us help you, your family and your community by registering and participating in the Ripple Effect.”
The Ripple Effect has been developed by NCFH, Deakin University, Victorian Farmers Federation, AgChatOZ, Mental Illness Fellowship North Queensland, Sandpit and Western District Health Service as part of beyondblue’s STRIDE Project with donations from the Movember Foundation.
Visit www.therippleeffect.com.au for more details.
2016-08-01: Carbon filters essential for safety in machinery cabs – Farming ahead
By Jessica Strauss
A major risk, according to the National Centre for Farmer Health (NCFH), is misreading the chemical filters fitted to tractor cabins to protect against chemical sprays, organic dust/gas and pollutants.
National Centre for Farmer Health, AgriSafe clinician Rachel Verschuren, said indicator beads in filters were not fully understood by some farmers.
Verschuren said some filters have an indicator cell that show farmers coloured beads in filters.
Others do not and need to be changed after a set number of service hours or a given period of time.
It is important that farmers and agricultural workers know which type they are working with.
Verschuren said the beads were made from activated alumina which is potassium permanganate impregnated.
“This means they change colour from purple to brown to cream as the carbon in the filter becomes saturated with toxic matter,” she said.
“When the beads turn cream they are due to be either reconditioned or replaced.
“But what we are discovering many farmers do not realise is after turning cream, the beads then return to a brownish/black colour if the tractor is not used for a while.
“Which means farmers can incorrectly assume the filter is still active. Some farmers are [also] not aware that after a period of time they should change their filters.”
The NCFH AgriSafe clinic has previously run occupational agricultural health assessments in the run-up to seeding. The founding centre is based at Western District Health Service, Hamilton.
A key focus is to assess the personal protective equipment used by farmers.
Verschuren said AgriSafe clinic staff had been concerned by confusion amongst farmers about the safety of their tractors at this critical time.
She said it was also possible for the coloured beads to slightly stain the plastic inside the indicator cell, making it difficult to correctly view colour.
“This highlights manufacturer recommendations for daily cleaning and checking of the chemical filter when in use in particular in dusty times,” she said.
Filters should be changed, or at least recharged as follows:
• After 400 hours of use (which means a usage log book must be kept)
• According to the inspection due date on your filter
• If the indicator beads have turned cream
• If there is any concern regarding the performance of the filter
“People using chemical filters in tractors should also be aware if the filter is moisture contaminated it will become inactive, and must be replaced,” Verschuren said.
“Protective clothing, gloves and an appropriate face mask must also be worn if you are reconditioning the filter yourself.
“To extend the filter’s life it should be removed and stored in a sealed, airtight bag when not in use. The original dust filter should then be reinstalled.”
Farmer Health eNews August 2016
Find out all the latest from the National Centre for Farmer Health
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Do you want to fulfil your dream of doing a PhD – Are you looking for PhD funding? Application deadline: 31-Aug-2016.
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We are coming to WA! Check your No.1 Farming asset – YOU! @ Dowerin Field Days 24 & 25 August.
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Suicide in farming communities affects us ALL! We CAN do something about it.
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Wellness Wednesday.