New Website launched to help farming community deal with stress

A new interactive website has been launched by the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) with the aim of helping the local farming community identify and deal with the stress and pressure of farming life. 

The new website WWW.FARMINMIND.CO.UK is entirely confidential, and was developed with the help of key agricultural partners including Rural Support, The Farm Safety Partnership, and the Workplace Health and Leadership Group (NI). 

HSENI Chief Executive Robert Kidd said: “The farming community has gone through enormous change and transformation in recent years. Demands on our agri-food industry are higher than ever before and can often lead to increased stress levels for our farmers and their families.  It is with this in mind, along with our industry partners, we have developed the FarminMind bespoke site to help our local agri-food community identify and deal with stress. 

“The website provides instant, private, and convenient help. I would encourage all adults in our farming community to spend a few minutes and explore the benefits the site offers.”

The site is quick and easy to use. Users, as a first step, can opt to complete an internationally recognised questionnaire developed by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The ‘WHO-5’ questionnaire poses five short key questions that will help establish the level of stress being personally experienced.

The second step on the site has been specifically designed for the local farming community. Based on information provided by the user, it aims to identify the specific stressors impacting on the individual.

Veronica Morris, speaking at the event on behalf of Rural Support said: “Working together with the Northern Ireland Farm Support Hub, the FarminMind website will ensure that farmers and farming families have access to the most up to date, relevant and practical advice, support, and information to help them to develop their mental fitness and create sustainable and more resilient farm businesses. 

“We are delighted to partner with HSENI in the delivery of these important resources and help strengthen the agri-sector in Northern Ireland.”

The new site, having helped individuals to identify the causes of stress, will offer the user a wide range of information and resources, including the details of organisations who can offer free, confidential support, and help. It also provides a one-stop list of contact details of organisations involved in the agri-food industry in Northern Ireland.