Farmers in Canada faced higher levels of mental distress than the general public prior to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and are generally less likely than the public to seek help. However, the mental health impacts of COVID-19 on farmers in Canada remain unexplored. Our objective was to investigate mental health outcomes among farmers in Canada by gender and within the context of COVID-19. We conducted a national, online, cross-sectional survey of farmers in Canada (February–May 2021). The survey included validated scales of anxiety, depression, perceived stress, burnout (emotional exhaustion, cynicism, professional efficacy), alcohol use, resilience, and questions regarding participants’ perceived changes in these outcomes during the pandemic. Data were also collected on the impact of COVID-19 specific social and economic factors on mental health, help-seeking, and sense of community belonging through the pandemic. Descriptive statistics were summarized, and Chi-square analyses and t-tests were conducted to compare survey results between genders and to data collected in our similar 2016 survey and normative population data. A total of 1167 farmers participated in the survey. Participants scored more severely across scales than scale norms and the general Canadian population during COVID-19. Scale means were consistent between the 2016 and 2021 samples. Most participants with moderate to severe scores for any outcome reported worsening symptoms since the pandemic began. Women fared significantly worse than men across measures. Over twice as many women reported seeking mental health or substance use support during the pandemic than men. Participants rated the mental health impacts of all social and economic factors related to COVID-19 examined significantly (p < 0.05) differently than the Canadian public. The pandemic has negatively impacted the mental health of farmers in Canada and in ways that differ from the general population. National level and gender-specific mental health supports are needed to help improve the mental health of farmers in Canada.

Farmers globally face significant occupational stressors and are reported to experience high levels of depression, anxiety, burnout, suicide ideation, and suicide. While the impacts of high stress and poor mental health have been well-studied in the general population, and to some extent, in specific occupations, the impacts on farmers are understudied. The objective here was to explore the lived experience of high stress and (or) poor mental health in Canadian farmers, including the perceived impacts. Using a phenomenological approach within a constructivist paradigm, we conducted 75 one-on-one research interviews with farmers and people who work closely with farmers, in Ontario, Canada, between July 2017 and May 2018. We analysed the data via thematic analyses and identified four major themes. Participants described myriad negative impacts of farmers’ high stress and (or) poor mental health: (1) personally, (2) interpersonally, and (3) cognitively, which ultimately negatively impacted them (4) professionally, including consequences for productivity, animals, and farm success. The data described far-reaching, interconnected impacts of high stress and poor mental health on participants, the people and animals in their lives, and most aspects of their farming operations, financial viability, and success. Farmer stress, mental health, and well-being are important considerations in promoting sustainable, successful agriculture.

Farming is widely regarded as a highly stressful occupation, and many farming stressors have been studied globally. Research on farming stressors in Canada is scarce, yet there is some indication that Canadian farmers have high perceived stress scores and score more severely across mental health outcomes compared to the general population. This study provides a comprehensive exploration of farming stressors in Canada with the aim to inform avenues to reduce stress and/or boost the well-being of farmers. An exploratory sequential mixed-methods design was used. First, qualitative data were collected from 75 in-depth interviews with farmers and industry professionals from Ontario, Canada from 2017 to 2018. These data were then used to inform items measuring self-reported stress across 12 farming stressors in a national cross-sectional survey of farmers’ mental health conducted February–May 2021. Results from both data sources provide an initial understanding of the episodic and chronic stressors faced by farmers in Canada, and the context within which these stressors are experienced. Implications and focus areas for stress reduction and well-being promotion are discussed in this paper.

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.

Farming is recognized as one of the most stressful occupations worldwide, with farmers experiencing heightened prevalences of chronic stress, depression, anxiety, and suicidality. However, there is limited research that has qualitatively examined gendered experiences of farmers’ mental health in Canada. This study explored Canadian farmers’ perspectives on mental health through a gendered lens to address this gap in knowledge. Seventy-five farmers and agricultural community members participated in semi-structured interviews centred on stress, mental health challenges, and help-seeking, conducted between 2017 and 2018. Data were analyzed thematically using a Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA+) approach. Three major themes were identified: identity, workload, and mental health support. Women farmers described persistent struggles to be recognized as “farmers,” highlighting how gender-assumptive language and agricultural norms undermined their identity and contributed to their mental distress. They also reported disproportionate workloads, often resulting in overwhelm, exhaustion, and diminished wellbeing. Finally, while men often positioned women as the preferred recipients of mental health education, women expressed that this expectation intensified their already heavy burden. Findings underscore that gendered roles and expectations in Canadian agriculture profoundly shape farmers’ mental health in that women’s contributions remain undervalued, and their mental health is further strained by both visible and invisible workloads and by expectations to safeguard family and community wellbeing.