The Supporting Role of Women in UK Farming. A Mixed Methods Analysis of Relational Need Satisfaction, Stress, and Well-being

Healthy relationships are essential for well-being and can buffer against stress. Women in the farming community may face challenges that compromise maintaining supportive relationships. We provide novel data investigating satisfaction of relationship needs for women in farming.
138 women (Mage = 48.46 years, SD = 12.31) from the UK farming community completed online mixed-methods questionnaire comprising qualitative and quantitative measures of well-being, stress, relational need satisfaction, and reciprocity.
Met relational needs were associated with higher well-being and lower stress. Moderation analysis showed higher stress was linked to lower well-being at fulfilled relational needs. This striking result was supported by qualitative data: while women provide support to others, they receive limited support in return.
The complex dynamics of reciprocal social support among women in farming suggest the agricultural lifestyle can both promote and obstruct relational need satisfaction. Replicating the findings is important to explore differences in relationships across farming roles.