Rural Support Champions Mental Health Awareness with Farm Safety Foundation’s “Mind Your Head” Campaign
Rural Support, Northern Ireland’s only dedicated farm support charity for nearly 25 years, is lending its support to the Farm Safety Foundation’s (Yellow Wellies) Mind Your Head mental health awareness campaign.
This annual initiative aims to break down stigma, spotlight the mental wellbeing challenges facing farming communities, and reinforce that mental health matters just as much as physical safety on farm.
The agricultural sector continues to face intense pressures, with long working hours, rural isolation and financial uncertainty impacting the wellbeing of farmers and their families. Research by the Farm Safety Foundation shows that over nine in 10 farmers recognise poor mental health as one of the biggest hidden problems facing the industry today, with wellbeing deteriorating in recent years.
In Northern Ireland, Rural Support has seen a sustained and significant rise in demand for its services, reflecting the growing pressures facing farm families.
During 2024–25, the Rural Support Helpline received 446 calls across a broad spectrum of issues, representing a 22 per cent increase on the previous year, with a notable surge in calls during the winter months. The highest number of calls came from individuals aged 45–54, with the Northern Health & Social Care Trust area accounting for the greatest volume of contacts.
The top three concerns raised were financial difficulties, mental health challenges and succession planning, highlighting the complex and interconnected pressures within the agri-sector. This follows earlier trends which saw a 54 per cent increase in overall support requests, a 55 per cent rise in counselling referrals, and a 13 per cent increase in support line calls in the year leading up to Storm Éowyn.
Together, these figures underline the growing mental health burden within farming households and reinforce the critical need for awareness, early intervention and campaigns such as Mind Your Head that encourage open conversation and access to support.
Melissa Wylie, Farm Support and Therapeutic Services Programme Manager from Rural Support said: “Behind every set of figures is a person, a family and a farm under pressure.
"We’re hearing daily from farmers who are juggling financial strain, uncertainty about the future and the sheer isolation that can come with the job. The Mind Your Head campaign is a vital reminder that mental wellbeing deserves the same attention as physical safety on farm. Taking time to talk, to check in with others and to ask for help early can make a real difference — and no one in our farming community should feel they have to cope alone.”
The Mind Your Head campaign encourages farmers and their families to take time to check in with themselves and others, access support services and treat mental health with the same priority as physical farm safety. Rural Support offers a range of free and confidential services including a FREEPHONE confidential Support Line, one-to-one business mentoring, on-farm counselling, mental health awareness training and community wellbeing programmes.
For nearly 25 years, Rural Support has provided confidential emotional, personal and business support to farmers, farm families and rural communities across Northern Ireland. Services are free to access and tailored to meet the needs of the agricultural sector, helping to build resilience, wellbeing and long-term sustainability.
If you or someone you know have any issues or concerns in relation to your farm business or personal wellbeing, please contact Rural Support’s freephone confidential Support Line 0800 138 1678 (open Monday-Friday, 9am-9pm) or visit their website www.ruralsupport.org.uk and click ‘Get Help’.