Farm Focused Mental Health Supports

Resolution E1-19: Access to Farm Specific Mental Health Resources

Dr. Briana Hagen is one of Canada’s leading experts on mental health in the farming sector. She is based in Manitoba and works with the University of Guelph. Dr. Hagen and her colleagues have done multiple national studies and developed a program called, In the Know, which has been adopted and delivered in many provinces across Canada. The program is geared toward helping farmers better identify, understand, and cope with the many mental health challenges they face in their profession. Dr. Hagen was that the issue of mental health in farming is fundamentally different than in other sectors.

In a 2016 study Dr. Briana Hagen found that over one third of the farmers in the study had depression, and 58% anxiety. Challenges for farm operators are geography, the expense of the travel for treatment options and needing creative ways to take time off to work on mental health issues. Finding mental health supports that understand the challenges of farming is a barrier to farmers seeking the help they require.

Recently the Agriculture Research and Extension Council of Alberta (ARECA) received an approval for a $123,000 grant from the Alberta government to address Mental Health Awareness for Farmers. The plan is to reach out to the various national and provincial mental health stakeholders to develop a coordinated approach similar to what is being done in other provinces.

Below is an interview with Dr. Briana Hagen from The First Sixteen podcast recorded by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada which can be found on the Agri-Info webpage. You can subscribe to Agri-Info e-newsletter from the same site.

Women farmers leading into the future – The First Sixteen

2026 is the International Year of the Woman Farmer. Women are changing the face of farming in Canada. They are highly educated. They’re working hard. And, while they are having success, they also encounter unique barriers to entry and advancement in the sector. This episode speaks with two women from the Prairies – Dr. Lauren Younker, Feedlot Production Consultant and member of the Canadian Agricultural Youth Council and farmer and entrepreneur Lesley Kelly – who are at the vanguard of this movement. Learn how they are breaking down barriers. Hear their vision for the future of agriculture in Canada. Learn more about the programs and resources discussed in the episode through AGPAL and from Farm Credit Canada.  

1. Women farmers leading into the future 25:20
2. More Than a Transaction: Reimagining Farm Transitions 30:17
3. From Fences to Firewalls: Cyber security in agriculture 26:18
4. Opening new markets in the Indo-Pacific 29:37
5. Innovative investments: Venture capital funding in agriculture and food 28:42