East Anglia's farmers were urged not to shy away from difficult conversations about mental health - now regarded as the "biggest hidden problem" facing their industry.

A study into the wellbeing of farmers was published on the first day of the annual Mind Your Head week, a campaign run by the Farm Safety Foundation.

It says 92pc of UK farmers under the age of 40 rank poor mental health as the biggest hidden problem facing them today - up from 82pc in 2018. Meanwhile, in a separate survey, 84pc of farmers over 40 agreed it is one of the biggest problems.

The last two years have heaped added pressure onto farmers, with poor harvests, supply chain shortages, subsidy withdrawals and the Covid pandemic adding to the existing challenges of rural isolation.

The foundation said many people living and working in rural communities "are suffering, and doing so in silence".

And that is a worrying trend for the agricultural industry, which saw 44 suicides registered in England and Wales in 2020, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) - although that figure has fallen from 102 in 2019.

Emma Haley, manager of rural mental health charity YANA (You Are Not Alone), which works across Norfolk and Suffolk, said: "A lot of the questions I get asked by farmers suggest there is a lack of confidence to say they are concerned about someone, and are worried about making it worse.

"So what is the best way to approach someone if you think they might be struggling, what can you say to make a difference?"

She suggested a few pointers to help people start those important conversations:

  • Try inviting the person to take a walk, go and look at a crop, or other aspects of the farm. Talking while walking can ease some of the uncomfortable feelings.
  • Ask: "How are you really?" It can take a few times and different ways of asking to get past "I'm fine". Sometimes you won't get an answer but the fact you asked, and not just once, will be remembered. They might come back to talk to you when they are ready, or next time you ask.
  • Let them know why you are concerned. For example "I’ve noticed you..." or "I am worried about you because…"
  • If they want to talk again, tell them you are happy to listen. Try to remember to ask them again in a few days.
  • "What would help?" Asking this helps them to feel a sense of control and helps you understand how they want to be helped.
  • Remember that asking if suicide or self-harm is something they have thought of won’t put the idea in their head.

Stephanie Berkeley, manager of the Farm Safety Foundation, said it was time for the industry to "deal with the issue of poor mental health head-on".

"We need to talk about our feelings and let everyone living and working in farming know that it’s completely OK to have feelings, good and bad, but it's also important to let them out," she said.

"Life isn’t always as it seems, we don’t post on social media about the days that we wished we didn’t get out of bed or the days we didn’t feel like it.

"Many living and working in rural communities are suffering and doing so in silence. As an industry, it’s time to ease the pressure, stop expecting people to be perfect and start talking openly about feelings with people you trust.”

  • The Mind Your Head campaign runs from February 14 to February 18. For more information see www.yellowwellies.org.
  • If you or someone you know needs help, visit www.yanahelp.org, or contact the confidential YANA helpline on 0300 323 0400 or helpline@yanahelp.org.