Farmer-stress findings surprise psychologists

Press, 28 September 1988, Page 28

Farmer-stress findings surprise psychologists

By

NICK BROWN

NZPA Sydney Waikato University psychologists have been surprised to discover that established dairy farmers have been feeling more stress in the rural recession than young farmers. A senior lecturer, Dr Michael Hills, who did research with Dr Michael O’Driscoll and Ms Beth Neill on stress among New Zealand dairy farmers, presented findings in a paper to the International Congress of Psychology in Sydney. Since 293 dairy farmers were surveyed about stress last year, families found to be suffering the most and least stress were subjected to more intensive study and interviews. “We had thought the farmer who was well established with lots of friends in the district would be coping best, but it doesn’t appear to be so,” Dr Hills told NZPA. “The people coping best are the young and unen-

cumbered, going into it as a business and seeing themselves as independent. They are not dependent on the local community to carry (them) but are setting about earning their place on the farm. “The more established and long-term people were having the most difficulty coping with stress.” Dr Hills believed this was because of established farmers having made a greater investment in themselves and the district. Seeing everything change led to a greater feeling of distress. But he said young people who bought farms during the land-price boom were exceptions to the trend. In the random poll of dairy farmers throughout New Zealand, the biggest causes of stress were found to be: mortgage interest rates, market prices for dairy products and reduced land values. No farmers expressed any concern about re-

moval of Government subsidies, although some felt they had been unfairly treated by the Government through its policies affecting interest and exchange rates. The major way the farmers tried to cope with stress was to think about leaving farming. Other reactions included cutting spending on repairs and maintenance, obtaining second jobs off the farm and laying off employees. Dr Hills said the farmers feeling most stress were uncertain about - their income, jealous of city dwellers’ income and having difficulty employing and managing labour on their farms. He added that suicidal feelings among the farmers were no greater than in other sections of society. He would like to see if improved dairy prices since the survey had reduced farmers’ stress.