School of Population Health, Curtin University, Kent Street, Bentley, Perth 6102, Australia.
School of Population Health, Curtin University, Kent Street, Bentley, Perth 6102, Australia; Curtin enAble Institute, Kent Street, Bentley, Perth 6102, Australia.
Soc Sci Med. 2024 Nov;361:117381. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.117381. Epub 2024 Oct 1.
The cyclical nature of agriculture exposes farmers to challenges that vary over time, influenced by a myriad of external factors beyond their control. This longitudinal study aimed to examine mental health trajectories for Western Australian farmers over a 12 month period, and determine associations with key risk and protective factors. Farmers and farm residents (N = 125) completed an online survey at three timepoints (baseline, 6 months and 12 months) that assessed anxiety, depression, stress, farming stressors, coping strategies, sense of belonging and social supports. Survey timing coincided with periods of harvest and seeding. Risk factors associated with poorer mental health among farmers included a range of dysfunctional and emotion coping strategies, family/relationship stressors, financial/external stressors and daily stressors. Protective factors included sense of belonging and social support. Stress was found to change over time and family/relationship stressors and financial/external stressors at baseline were found to moderate anxiety and stress at 6 months and 12 months. Addressing factors associated with poor mental health trajectories and bolstering factors that are protective for mental health over time will aid clinical and community services in tailoring their services to meet the needs of farmers.
农业的周期性使农民面临各种挑战，这些挑战随着时间的推移而变化，受到许多他们无法控制的外部因素的影响。本纵向研究旨在考察西澳大利亚农民在 12 个月内的心理健康轨迹，并确定与关键风险和保护因素的关联。农民和农场居民（N=125）在三个时间点（基线、6 个月和 12 个月）完成了一项在线调查，评估了焦虑、抑郁、压力、农业压力源、应对策略、归属感和社会支持。调查时间恰逢收获和播种期。与农民心理健康较差相关的风险因素包括一系列功能失调和情绪应对策略、家庭/关系压力源、财务/外部压力源和日常压力源。保护因素包括归属感和社会支持。研究发现压力随时间而变化，基线时的家庭/关系压力源和财务/外部压力源被发现可以调节 6 个月和 12 个月时的焦虑和压力。解决与心理健康轨迹较差相关的因素，并增强随着时间推移对心理健康具有保护作用的因素，将有助于临床和社区服务根据农民的需求调整服务。
