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Tractors, Talk, Mindset, Mantras, Detachment, and Distraction: A Mixed-Methods Investigation of Coping Strategies Used by Farmers in Canada

Author

Listed:
  • Rochelle Thompson

    (Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON N1G2W1, Canada)

  • Briana N. M. Hagen

    (Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON N1G2W1, Canada)

  • Andria Jones-Bitton

    (Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON N1G2W1, Canada)

Abstract

Characterized by high unpredictability and little control, everyday factors make farming one of the most stressful occupations globally. Indeed, farmers around the world and in Canada score more severely on measures of perceived stress and negative mental health outcomes like anxiety and depression, and suicide ideation among farmers is disproportionately high. Research investigating effective ways of coping with everyday stress within the time and workload constraints of farming is scarce. This mixed-methods study explores the ways farmers in Ontario and Canada cope with daily farming stressors. Qualitative data from 75 in-depth interviews with farmers and industry professionals in Ontario, Canada, were analyzed to investigate farming-specific coping strategies within the farming context. Quantitative survey responses from 1167 farmers across Canada to the 14-item Ways of Coping measure developed for the Canadian Community Health Survey Cycle 1.2 were analyzed to determine which coping strategies Canadian farmers use most in relation to the representative national population. The ways of coping endorsed by farmers are presented in this paper, including adaptations of positive coping strategies in the farming context. The descriptions of positive and negative coping strategies used provide direction for effective avenues to reduce stress and boost farmers’ well-being.

Suggested Citation

  • Rochelle Thompson & Briana N. M. Hagen & Andria Jones-Bitton, 2023. "Tractors, Talk, Mindset, Mantras, Detachment, and Distraction: A Mixed-Methods Investigation of Coping Strategies Used by Farmers in Canada," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-19, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:11:p:8566-:d:1155300
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Rochelle Thompson & Briana N. M. Hagen & Margaret N. Lumley & Charlotte B. Winder & Basem Gohar & Andria Jones-Bitton, 2023. "“An Incredible Amount of Stress before You Even Put a Shovel in the Ground”: A Mixed Methods Analysis of Farming Stressors in Canada," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-23, April.
    2. Rochelle Thompson & Briana N. M. Hagen & Margaret N. Lumley & Charlotte B. Winder & Basem Gohar & Andria Jones-Bitton, 2022. "Mental Health and Substance Use of Farmers in Canada during COVID-19," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-24, October.
    3. David Byrne, 2022. "A worked example of Braun and Clarke’s approach to reflexive thematic analysis," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 56(3), pages 1391-1412, June.
    4. Briana N. M. Hagen & Alex Sawatzky & Sherilee L. Harper & Terri L. O’Sullivan & Andria Jones-Bitton, 2021. "What Impacts Perceived Stress among Canadian Farmers? A Mixed-Methods Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(14), pages 1-14, July.
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