Today is R U OK Day – the day all Australians are encouraged to pause and notice signs of mental health struggles in family, friends and those around us.
As a proud partner of Australia’s incredible agriculture community, the Sketch Corp team is well aware of the disproportionate amount of deaths by suicide that happen throughout the ag industry. In fact, a major study by the National Rural Health Alliance* found that suicide rates for farmers are up to 94% higher than everyone else, with one farmer on average dying by suicide every ten days.
The reasons for this sobering statistic are varied and complex, and can include social isolation, long work hours, financial pressures and unpredictable and extreme weather. So what can we do to help our Aussie farming community? Thankfully, there are some amazing organisations working hard to stem the tide of farmer suicides and provide crucial help to farming families affected by mental health issues – so if you’d like to get involved, consider supporting one of the following organisations.
And of course, if you work in ag and are struggling with mental health, please reach out to the above organisations or contact Lifeline or Beyond Blue.
*SOURCE: National Rural Health Alliance