The overall mental health of your farm often depends on how the workplace is designed. Some farmers realise the hard way that they need to provide structure and feedback to employees, to keep them engaged and motivated.

Ask a farmer what they love about their job and the word “freedom” usually comes up.
The flip side to the great freedoms of farming, can be a lack of organisational structure. This can lead to employees having a lack of clarity about their role, increased feelings of stress, and conflict. When this is combined with the high job demands of farming, it can ultimately lead to poor mental health outcomes.

Dr Kate Gunn is a clinical psychologist who has created a free, online tool, ifarmwell, to help farmers cope with challenging circumstances on the farm. In this episode, Kate discusses how work-related risks to mental health, and putting effort into creating a supportive workplace, can make all the difference on a farm. 

This podcast is part of the Primary Producer Knowledge Network led by the National Centre for Farmer Health to promote mentally healthy workplaces. Campfire, part of The Primary Producer Knowledge Network, is funded by the Victorian State Governments WorkSafe WorkWell Mental Health Improvement Fund.