Displaying items by tag: mental health

THE 100 extra people to be trained to help farming families get support to deal with stress-related issues will mainly work through the Rural Support Trusts.

Federated Farmers president William Rolleston, himself a doctor, is full of praise for the Farmstrong initiative, saying it’s great to see the approach to mental health being treated in such a positive way. 

FMG insurance chief executive Chris Black says while farmers have plans and systems in place to manage their land, stock and machinery, they generally lack a plan for their own personal wellbeing.

The most important asset on a farm is the farmer; a healthy farmer means a healthy business.

Rural insurer FMG is this week launching a mental health initiative aimed at the rural community.

The rural sector needs to focus more on mental wellness and look at developing simple self-diagnostic tools, says a South Island professional development coach, Loshni Manikam.

Initial findings from important research on rural mental health will be released at the first-ever National Rural Health Conference at Rotorua on March 13-14.

With a disproportionate number of suicides in the rural sector, Federated Farmers is calling for a proactive approach to solve the problem.