Increased Focus on Suicide Prevention in Scottish Agriculture

The drive to raise awareness and understanding of suicide prevention in the Scottish agricultural community is set to take a significant step forward this month.

Ahead of World Suicide Prevention Day (Sept 10, 2024) RSABI is embarking on a recruitment drive behind a new role in the charity, which supports people in Scottish agriculture, focused on suicide prevention in Scotland’s farming and crofting communities.

The new position, being delivered in partnership with SAMH (Scottish Action for Mental Health), will see RSABI for the first time benefit from a full-time member of staff  focused on crucial suicide prevention work in Scottish agriculture.

As well as working long hours, the isolation of modern farming and lack of social contact, along with the impact of the increased cost of living, are factors which can have a major impact on the mental wellbeing of people in farming.

The aim is to maximise the opportunity for partnership working and collaboration with specialist organisations involved in suicide prevention, in line with the Scottish Government’s Prevention Strategy, Creating Hope Together.

One priority will be to improve understanding of suicide in Scotland’s farming and crofting communities and increase awareness of the ways everyone can play a part in suicide prevention.

The new role is set to add to a range of mental health initiatives RSABI is delivering to help provide emotional support to people in Scottish agriculture, which sadly has a poor track record in terms of mental health and suicide.

In the past two years RSABI has delivered mental health first aid training, working with former Royal Marines at IED Training Solutions, to over 700 people working in the frontline of Scottish agriculture, to help them to know what to say and do when someone is struggling.

The charity also works very closely with the Scottish Association of Young Farmers Clubs (SAYFC) and has this summer started an ambitious programme of Suicide Prevention training with young farmers, working with Papyrus, a charity which specialises in suicide prevention in young people.

RSABI has also seen demand for is free counselling services increase significantly over the past year with over 1000 free counselling sessions provided to people in Scottish agriculture in the past year.

The fact that farmers are often reluctant to seek help from a health professional at an early stage can also contribute to mental and physical conditions deteriorating. To help tackle this, and encourage farmers to seek professional advice, RSABI is rolling out a Health Hut initiative with a dedicated team of nurses and doctors setting up health huts in auction marts and at agricultural shows throughout the country.

A wellbeing app – Thrive Wellbeing – is also provided free of charge by RSABI, following a successful pilot programme with three young farmers clubs.

Carol McLaren, Chief Executive of RSABI, said the development of the new role in partnership with SAMH is a vital step forward: “We know that sadly we are still losing far too many people of all ages in Scottish agriculture to suicide and too often our welfare team sees the devastating impact this has on families and friends bereaved by suicide.

“The impact of these deaths on our closeknit Scottish farming and crofting communities, is huge.

“As a charity we already work closely with many of Scotland’s mental health organisations and working in partnership with SAMH and having a dedicated individual in our team focused on communications, awareness-raising and engagement around suicide prevention will ensure we can take the benefits of this collaboration to a new level.

“Our new recruit will also lead on new research in the coming months to help us increase understanding of a great many factors relating to suicide in Scottish agriculture. This will help us to understand how RSABI, working in collaboration with many others, can raise awareness in our communities, help prevent suicides and support those bereaved by suicide.”

Dan Farthing, Head of Suicide Prevention at SAMH, said: “The agricultural sector has always been demanding. There is widespread lone working and highly intensive long working hours, particularly at peak times of the year.  However, people are now facing mounting pressures as the economics of farming change.

“Climate change and workforce challenges are adding considerably to those pressures, and we are concerned that is adding to the risk of suicide in the community.

“This partnership with RSABI is really important as a step towards improving the understanding of suicide in the sector and creating opportunities to have meaningful conversations about suicide in farming communities to reduce risk. We’re grateful to RSABI for working with us and look forward to the work we’ll do together.”

Tandem Against Suicide 

Xani cycles 3,500 miles of UK Coast in memory of his sister 

Xani, 34, lost his sister Alice to suicide in January 2022. Over the years, they had talked about the idea of Alice joining Xani on the back of a tandem bicycle to build her confidence cycling around Edinburgh. “We never made time for it. Now it’s too late, and it’s one of my biggest regrets,” says Xani. 

“Since Alice’s death, I’ve learned an enormous amount from others who have lost someone to suicide. On this tandem ride (88 days and about 3500 miles around the coast of mainland UK), I’ll be joined, each day, by a different person who has been affected by suicide.

“I want to listen to them, learn from them and share their stories. People who’ve lost someone to suicide have important things to say, and we should all listen because suicidal thoughts and feelings can happen to anyone. You never think this kind of thing will happen to you until it does.” 

With this challenge, Xani is hoping to raise money and awareness for two charities doing important work to stop and support those affected by suicide, including SOBS (Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide) and Papyrus UK (Prevention of Young Suicide) and to date, has raised almost £24.5k via his JustGiving fundraising page. 

“I have attended the SOBS (Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide) groups for almost a year. I’ve learned a tremendous amount from everyone who attends – people from all walks of life who have lost someone to suicide.

“In my view, only people who’ve had this devastating experience can really understand what it feels like, and SOBS gives free, monthly, face-to-face support all over the UK. 

People travel great distances to attend our local group. Those that have lost someone to suicide are at greater risk of suicide themselves. The SOBS groups are lifesavers. There needs to be more of them, and the volunteers need support and training. 

Papyrus campaign train people and do everything they can to prevent youth suicide. If more people accessed their training, we would surely have a public that’s better equipped to talk to and support those with suicidal thoughts.” 

Xani, now on day 58, started his cycle on 29th May 2023 from Portobello and is no stranger to cycling long distances.

“I was an Edinburgh Rickshaw driver for five years, so I’m used to pedalling people up steep hills! Also, a very long time ago now, a friend and I cycled from Edinburgh to Istanbul – before Google Maps!

“When people found out how far we were going, they opened their doors and supported us. I’ve already found the same generosity with this cycle.” 

Set to complete his 88-day cycle on Wednesday, 23rd August, Xani reflects, “So, this isn’t a ride with Alice, but it is a ride for Alice and for everyone who struggles with suicidal thoughts.” 

You can see Xani’s full Tandem Against Suicide route here