The Mental Health of the Organic Farmer: Psychosocial and Contextual Actors

Despite the large body of research and literature on the health and mental health of farmers, we should not assume that research findings necessarily apply to the organic farmer. The limited literature on the mental health of the organic farmer points to potential differences. Research has found that workers on organic farms may be happier than their counterparts; others have identified added sources of stress related to the perceived need of organic farmers to embrace concepts linked to the organic movement. However, further research is needed to identify both risk and protective factors for mental health among organic farmers. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore the psychosocial and contextual factors that may relate to the mental health of the organic farmer. Key informant interviews were conducted with 10 farm producers and 20 farm workers. The findings indicated that respondents recognized mental health as influential in the workplace and the future of organic practices (e.g., the mental, financial, physical stress). Some of the risk factors mentioned by participants reflected those experienced by conventional, nonorganic farmers. Participants also reported contentment with farming as an occupation, the benefits of being connected to the land, feelings of social and environmental responsibility, and engagement in social activities that may promote human and social capital. These feelings and activities ultimately benefit the farmer, contribute to social cohesion, and may have positive implications for mental health. Results suggest that there may be protective mental health factors unique to the organic farmer.

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Organic farming in Austria

American Journal of Alternative Agriculture ◽

10.1017/s0889189300008274 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 14 (3) ◽

pp. 137-143 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Christian R. Vogl ◽

Jürgen Hess

Keyword(s):

Organic Farming ◽

Meat Products ◽

Brand Names ◽

The European Union ◽

Organic Farms ◽

The Sustainable Development ◽

Organic Movement ◽

Organic Products ◽

Organic Farmers ◽

Present Decade

AbstractDuring the present decade, Austria has experienced a dramatic increase in organic farming among those countries that comprise the European Union (EU). For example, in 1992, approximately 2,000 farms were practicing organic, ecological, or biodynamic farming methods. By 1997 the number of certified organic farms plus those in transition from conventional farming had increased 10-fold to some 20,000 farms. This represents almost 9% of the total farms in Austria and an area of 345,375 ha, or 10% of the total cultivated farmland. The largest concentration of organic farms is in regions with a high proportion of alpine grassland or pastures. Approximately 50% of the organic farms range in size from 5 to 15 ha. The strong organic movement in Austria can be attributed to a) government subsidies which provide incentives to organic farmers and b) widespread acceptance of organic products and their brand names by large food chains and supermarkets. More than 60% of organic farmers are affiliated with associations and organizations that provide advisory and support services in marketing activities. Certification of organic farms and food processors is conducted by seven monitoring bodies according to EU regulation No. 2092/91, which guarantees legallybinding standards of food safety and quality to EU consumers, and according to the Austrian Alimentari Codex. Since January 1998, all monitoring/certifying bodies in Austria must verify accreditation according to regulation European Norm 45011. The major supermarket chain offers a variety of organic dairy and meat products, as well as organic ice cream, pizza, vegetables, fruits, baby foods, and bread. The current domestic wholesale value of organic products marketed from Austrian farms is approximately 170 million US$ annually. Unfortunately, funding for support of scientific research and extension to enhance organic farming and marketing has not kept pace with the increasing number of organic farms and farmers. Additional funding is essential to ensure the sustainable development of the organic movement and the organic market.

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Mental health policy recommendations based on research findings (1997-2000) from the Center for the Study of Issues in Public Mental Health

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e389392005-001 ◽

2000 ◽

Author(s):

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Policy ◽

Mental Health Policy ◽

Public Mental Health ◽

Policy Recommendations ◽

Research Findings

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University students’ perceived need for mental health services: A study of variables related to not seeking help.

Psychological Services ◽

10.1037/ser0000172 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 14 (4) ◽

pp. 502-512 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Sara Nash ◽

Meggen Sixbey ◽

Sunghee An ◽

Ana Puig

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Health Services ◽

Health Services ◽

University Students ◽

Perceived Need ◽

Seeking Help

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Associations between problem gambling, socio-demographics, mental health factors and gambling type: sex differences among Finnish gamblers

International Gambling Studies ◽

10.1080/14459795.2013.840328 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

pp. 39-52 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Johanna Nordmyr ◽

Anna K. Forsman ◽

Kristian Wahlbeck ◽

Kaj Björkqvist ◽

Karin Österman

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Sex Differences ◽

Problem Gambling ◽

Health Factors ◽

Mental Health Factors ◽

Gambling Type

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Impact of arthritis on the perceived need and use of mental healthcare among Canadians with mental disorders: nationally representative cross-sectional study

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-041371 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (12) ◽

pp. e041371

Author(s):

Alyssa Howren ◽

J Antonio Aviña-Zubieta ◽

Deborah Da Costa ◽

Joseph H Puyat ◽

Hui Xie ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Disorders ◽

Mental Disorder ◽

Clinical Care ◽

Mental Healthcare ◽

Cluster Sampling ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Perceived Need ◽

Mental Health Support ◽

Health Support

ObjectiveTo evaluate the association between having arthritis and the perceived need for mental healthcare and use of mental health support among individuals with mental disorders.DesignA cross-sectional analysis using data from Canadian Community Health Survey—Mental Health (2012).SettingThe survey was administered across Canada’s 10 provinces using multistage cluster sampling.ParticipantsThe study sample consisted of individuals reporting depression, anxiety or bipolar disorder.Study variables and analysisThe explanatory variable was self-reported doctor-diagnosed arthritis, and outcomes were perceived need for mental healthcare and use of mental health support. We computed overall and gender-stratified multivariable binomial logistic regression models adjusted for age, gender, race/ethnicity, income and geographical region.ResultsAmong 1774 individuals with a mental disorder in the study sample, 436 (20.4%) reported having arthritis. Arthritis was associated with increased odds of having a perceived need for mental healthcare (adjusted OR (aOR) 1.71, 95% CI 1.06 to 2.77). In the gender-stratified models, this association was increased among men (aOR 2.69, 95% CI 1.32 to 5.49) but not women (aOR 1.48, 95% CI 0.78 to 2.82). Evaluation of the association between arthritis and use of mental health support resulted in an aOR of 1.50 (95% CI 0.89 to 2.51). Individuals with arthritis tended to use medications and professional services as opposed to non-professional support.ConclusionComorbid arthritis among individuals with a mental disorder was associated with an increased perceived need for mental healthcare, especially in men, underscoring the importance of understanding the role of masculinity in health seeking. Assessing the mental health of patients with arthritis continues to be essential for clinical care.

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Roles of Psychological Distress and Social Support in the Relationship Between Childhood Maltreatment and Perceived Needs for Mental Health Care

Journal of Interpersonal Violence ◽

10.1177/08862605211006368 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 088626052110063

Author(s):

Tingting Gao ◽

Songli Mei ◽

Muzi Li ◽

Carl D’ Arcy ◽

Xiangfei Meng

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Social Support ◽

Health Care ◽

Psychological Distress ◽

Mental Health Care ◽

Childhood Maltreatment ◽

Perceived Needs ◽

Perceived Need ◽

History Of ◽

The Relationship

Childhood maltreatment is a major public health issue worldwide. It increases a range of health-risk behaviors, psychological and physical problems, which are associated with an increased need for mental health services in adulthood. Identification of mediating factors in the relationship between maltreatment and seeking mental health care may help attenuate the negative consequences of childhood maltreatment and promote more appropriate treatment. This study aims to examine whether the relationship between childhood maltreatment and perceived need for mental health care is mediated by psychological distress and/or moderated by social support. Data from the Canadian Community Health Survey-Mental Health 2012 are analyzed. A total of 8,993 participants, who had complete information on childhood maltreatment and diagnoses of mental disorders or psychological distress, are included in this study. Structural equation modeling and the PROCESS macro were used to identify relationships among childhood maltreatment, perceived needs for mental health care, and psychological distress. Hierarchical linear regression was then used to verify the moderated mediation model. We found that psychological distress partially mediated the effect of childhood maltreatment on perceived needs for mental health care in adulthood. Social support played an important role in terms of moderating the relationship between maltreatment and perceived needs for care. For those with a history of childhood maltreatment, those who perceived a low level of social support were more likely to have higher levels of psychological distress and perceived need for mental health care. This is the first study to identify the separate and combined roles of psychological distress and social support in the relationship between childhood maltreatment and perceived need for mental health care. Selective prevention strategies should focus on social support to improve mental health services among people with a history of childhood maltreatment.

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Perceived need for treatment and non-utilization of outpatient psychotherapy in old age: two cohorts of a nationwide survey

BMC Health Services Research ◽

10.1186/s12913-021-06384-6 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Paul Gellert ◽

Sonia Lech ◽

Eva-Marie Kessler ◽

Wolfram Herrmann ◽

Susanne Döpfmer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Older Adults ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Health Problems ◽

General Health Status ◽

Outpatient Psychotherapy ◽

Need For Treatment ◽

Perceived Need ◽

Rural Residency ◽

Perceived Need For Treatment

Abstract Beackground Older adults with mental health problems may benefit from psychotherapy; however, their perceived need for treatment in relation to rates of non-utilization of outpatient psychotherapy as well as the predisposing, enabling, and need factors proposed by Andersen’s Model of Health Care Utilization that account for these differences warrant further investigation. Methods We used two separate cohorts (2014 and 2019) of a weighted nationwide telephone survey in Germany of German-speaking adults with N = 12,197 participants. Across the two cohorts, 12.9% (weighted) reported a perceived need for treatment for mental health problems and were selected for further analyses. Logistic Generalized Estimation Equations (GEE) was applied to model the associations between disposing (age, gender, single habiting, rural residency, general health status), enabling (education, general practitioner visit) non-utilization of psychotherapy (outcome) across cohorts in those with a need for treatment (need factor). Results In 2014, 11.8% of 6087 participants reported a perceived need for treatment due to mental health problems. In 2016, the prevalence increased significantly to 14.0% of 6110 participants. Of those who reported a perceived need for treatment, 36.4% in 2014 and 36.9%in 2019 did not see a psychotherapist – where rates of non-utilization of psychotherapy were vastly higher in the oldest age category (59.3/52.5%; 75+) than in the youngest (29.1/10.7%; aged 18–25). Concerning factors associated with non-utilization, multivariate findings indicated participation in the cohort of 2014 (OR 0.94), older age (55–64 OR 1.02, 65–74 OR 1.47, 75+ OR 4.76), male gender (OR 0.83), lower educational status (OR 0.84), rural residency (OR 1.38), single habiting (OR 1.37), and seeing a GP (OR 1.39) to be related with non-utilization of psychotherapy; general health status was not significantly associated with non-utilization when GP contact was included in the model. Conclusion There is a strong age effect in terms of non-utilization of outpatient psychotherapy. Individual characteristics of both healthcare professionals and patients and structural barriers may add to this picture. Effective strategies to increase psychotherapy rates in those older adults with unmet treatment needs are required.

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COVID-19 Perceived Impact and Psychological Variables as Predictors of Unhealthy Food and Alcohol Consumption Trajectories: The Role of Gender and Living with Children as Moderators

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18094542 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (9) ◽

pp. 4542

Author(s):

Camila Salazar-Fernández ◽

Daniela Palet ◽

Paola A. Haeger ◽

Francisca Román Mella

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Depression Symptoms ◽

Unhealthy Food ◽

Psychological Variables ◽

Curve Modeling ◽

Perceived Impact ◽

Mental Health Factors ◽

The Impact ◽

Over Time

The present study examines the trajectories of unhealthy food and alcohol consumption over time and considers whether perceived impact of COVID-19 and psychological variables are predictors of these trajectories. We ascertained whether these predictors are different in women vs. men and between women living with vs. without children. Data were collected through online surveys administered to 1038 participants from two universities (staff and students) in Chile, across five waves (July to October 2020). Participants provided information about their past-week unhealthy food and alcohol consumption and mental health. Using latent growth curve modeling analysis, we found that higher perceived health and interpersonal COVID-19 impact, younger age and lower depression symptoms were associated with more rapid increases over time in unhealthy food consumption. On the other hand, higher perceived COVID-19 economic impact and older age were associated with more rapid diachronic decreases in alcohol consumption. Gender and living with or without children, for women only, were moderators of these trajectories. This longitudinal study provides strong evidence identifying the multiple repercussions of COVID-19 and mental health factors on unhealthy food and alcohol consumption. These findings highlight the need for interventions aimed at minimizing the impact of the pandemic on unhealthy food and alcohol consumption over time.

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