Analysis Of Media Stories Related To Improving Mental Health Support For Farmers In Queensland

In the month of August 2018, news headlines across the nation highlighted the long-winded drought conditions facing farmers in the Queensland region. Following these stories, the mental health and well-being of our Australian farmers became a pressing concern. The results of a study conducted in 2005 concluded that “farming is associated with a unique set of characteristics that is potentially hazardous to mental health”. Recent studies have supported these claims and provided further evidence and examples of the types of characteristics that lead to mental health-related issues. It was found that the “social consequences” that follow “drastic natural events” such as droughts have a profound effect on “farming families and communities reliant on agricultural production”This has been evident particularly in rural parts of the country with statistics linking the events to an “increased rate of suicide amongst male Australian farmers”. Through the use of academic literature, this paper will examine news stories based around improving mental health support for farmers in Queensland. Furthermore, the mental health of Queensland farmers affected by the droughts will be explored and conclusions will be drawn on the ethical considerations of news reporting.

In contemporary society, the issue of mental health is a sensitive topic that is rarely discussed. This lack of discussion around mental health makes it a complex issue that holds a lot of misconceptions and stigmas in the wider community. Through the use of media, sensitive issues like mental health have the opportunity to set the record straight with facts and personal statements. In recent months, news headlines across the country highlighted that the state of Queensland was experiencing the event of a drought with conditions expected to worsen as the seasons’ progress to summer. Other news stories shed light on different news angles by sourcing information and reporting on how our Australian farmers have been affected by the droughts with a link to mental health. With journalists and news outlets focusing the Queensland droughts around the broader issue of mental health amongst Australian farmers, the stories are considered more newsworthy as they cater for a wider audience.

Throughout the news gathering and reporting process, ethical considerations must be taken into account. Entering into a discussion with farmers at a sensitive time and with the stigmas around mental health, journalists would be expected to have difficulty obtaining information regarding mental health challenges. Similarly, it may also be difficult trying to source information from family members as a result of the possible consequences of publically discussing an issue that carries misconceptions in the wider community. Journalism and the media play an important role in the communication of information of an issue in the public domain, and the effect it carries. Journalism provides a platform for the public to obtain an extended understanding of the drought and the broader issue of farmers and their mental health. If reports are inaccurate, unbalanced or sensationalized it can reinforce stigmas and have a detrimental impact on those suffering from mental health-related issues. According to Alston (2012), a number of factors asides from weather and climate conditions contribute to the health and well-being of Australian farmers, including “cultural context” and a “dominant form of masculine hegemony”.

In a column by the Queensland Farmers Federation looks at a recent article published by Mary O’Brien that shed some light into the impact that poor mental health has on male farmers in remote areas and how it may lead to suicide. Statistics provided in the article show that the category of highest risk of suicide in Australia is males between the age of 15 and 45. However, rural male farmers are committing suicide at rates that are significantly higher than non-farming rural males. There are a number of external factors that can result in depression amongst our rural farmers including; droughts, floods, rising input costs, family pressures, falling commodity prices, and pressure from banks. O’Brien uses her article to highlight the importance of understanding the pressures of maintaining a successful farming legacy and the toll it has on our Australian farmers, their families, and the community. An example of this is explored in an article written by Marnie Banger for the Northern Queensland Register, issues of accessibility and travel costs for counseling sessions are discussed and awareness is raised about the lack of support that is available for farmers living in remote areas.

Banger highlights that Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced that $11. 4 million in funding would be provided towards the mental wellbeing of farming families and their communities in a bid to improve mental health support services. This change would provide more flexibility for farmers living in rural areas by providing the services over the phone or via Skype. In her ABC News article, Dominique Schwartz discusses the reliance farmers have on the financial help provided by the Farm Household Allowance (FHA), which provides financial support and future planning for farmers who are experiencing hardships. By providing this information, Schwartz highlights that farming is our farmers’ livelihood and without it, they would have nothing to fall back on.

In our society, the media play such an important role in the communication of information with a wider audience. In recent months, the Queensland droughts have been reported on by countless media outlets and journalists. With a positive angle, what makes this type of story newsworthy is the focus on the broader issue of mental health of Australian farmers. This allows for families, communities and a nation to come together, address, and understand the misconceptions and stigmas associated with mental health. In conclusion, through the use of academic literature, this paper examined news stories improving mental health support for farmers in Queensland. Furthermore, the mental health of Queensland farmers affected by the droughts was explored and conclusions were made about the ethical considerations of news reporting.