A new partnership hopes to improve understanding of suicide in the Scottish farming industry while having meaningful conversations about the topic.
Charity RSABI is embarking on a recruitment drive behind a new role which will focus on suicide prevention in Scotland’s farming and crofting communities.
The position, delivered in partnership with Scottish Action for Mental Health (SAMH), will see RSABI for the first time benefit from a full-time member of staff focused on suicide prevention work.
The aim is to maximise the opportunity for partnership working and collaboration with specialist organisations involved in suicide prevention.
As well as working long hours, the isolation of modern farming and lack of social contact, along with rising costs, are factors which can have a major impact on farmers' mental wellbeing.
One priority of the new role will be to improve understanding of suicide in farming communities and increase awareness of the ways everyone can play a part in suicide prevention.
The role is set to add to a range of initiatives that RSABI is delivering to help provide emotional support to people in agriculture, which has a poor track record in terms of mental health and suicide.
RSABI says it has also seen demand for is free counselling services increase significantly over the past year, with over 1,000 free counselling sessions provided in the past year.
But Carol McLaren, chief executive of the charity, said the development of the new role in partnership with SAMH was a vital step forward.
“We know that sadly we are still losing far too many people of all ages in Scottish agriculture to suicide and too often our welfare team sees the devastating impact this has on families and friends bereaved by suicide.
"The impact of these deaths on our close-knit Scottish farming and crofting communities, is huge."
The new recruit will also lead on new research in the coming months to help increase understanding of the many factors relating to suicide in Scottish agriculture.
This will help RSABI, as well as other charities and groups, to raise awareness in farming communities, help prevent suicides and support those bereaved by suicide.
Dan Farthing, head of suicide prevention at SAMH, said the agricultural sector had always been mentally demanding.
"There is widespread lone working and highly intensive long working hours, particularly at peak times of the year," he explained.
“Climate change and workforce challenges are adding considerably to those pressures, and we are concerned that is adding to the risk of suicide in the community.
"This partnership with RSABI is really important as a step towards improving the understanding of suicide in the sector and creating opportunities to have meaningful conversations about suicide in farming communities to reduce risk."
