USQ researchers secure grant to improve farmers' mental health

Dr Delwar Hossain will lead the project designed to help farmers in times of drought and climate change.

Dr Delwar Hossain, a Research Fellow in CRRAH is leading the project entitled Capacity Building of the Rural and Remote Communities to Manage their Mental Health.

'This grant will help to build knowledge and capacity for rural and remote communities to manage their mental health during difficult times.

'The rural and remote communities are the victims of a catastrophic drought and climate variability.

'Farmers in particular undergo severe mental stress due to financial hardship from increased debt, making it difficult to plan for crops, stocking, improvements, breeding and succession.

In turn this affects local businesses and charities, limiting their ability to expand and employ staff and also affects family relationships leading to more stress, worry and an increase in the rate of suicide.'

The grant for stage one of this project has been secured, which will run until November 2011.

The first stage of the project will assess the extent and nature of mental health issues in drought in affected rural and remote communities.

The project will identify appropriate capacity building measures and scope an action plan to implement capacity building measures.

'We have previously worked with rural and remote communities which provided very good results in building community capacity to manage their mental health.

'Our aim continues to help communities effectively deal with mental health issues within their own communities, not having to engage third party organisations which may not be able to deal with issues in a timely manner.'

USQ will work collaboratively with the RHealth, Queensland Murray Darling Committee, Centracare and ATL Rod Saal Family Trust.

Funding for the project has been provided under the Collaborative Partnership for Farming and Fishing Health and Safety.   The collaborative partnership includes RIRDC, Cotton Research and Development Corporation, Grains Research & Development Corporation, Department of Health and Ageing, Sugar Research & Development Corporation and Fisheries Research & Development Corporation.