A Comparison of Farm Stressors in the UK and Canada

To understand the effects of stress on farmers, international data collection needs to be undertaken on a global level to enable cross-national comparisons, including across Commonwealth countries. An online survey compared farming stress in the UK and Canada (N = 569: 51% UK, 49% Canada). While finances were the primary stressor in both nations, Canadian farmers more frequently experienced stress from weather and labour management than UK farmers, who reported stress from animal health, farm/rural crime and isolation more often than their Canadian counterparts. Targeted interventions must address these contextual challenges. These findings support the newly developed ‘Interconnected Farm Stress Pyramid’ which provides insights into the synergistic nature of farm stressors. An integrated scale is now necessary to enhance understanding of the impact of stress experienced by Commonwealth farmers.