University of Guelph research examined gendered perspectives on mental health among Canadian farmers. Semi-structured interviews of 75 farmers and agricultural community members centred on stress, mental health challenges and help-seeking. Results underscore that the contributions of women farmers remain undervalued. Their mental health is strained by both visible and invisible workloads and by expectations to safeguard family and community wellbeing.
The researchers call for increasing mental health literacy, especially among farming men, to prevent farming women being at increased risk of chronic stress, depression, and burnout. “While there has been progress made to include women within Canadian agriculture, there must be further concerted efforts to cultivate an agricultural community in which farming women are equally valued.”
Published By: Canadian Centre for Agricultural Wellbeing, and the Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph
Publication Date: March, 2026
Click here to access “Torn in Many, Many, Many Different Directions:” Gendered Perspectives on Mental Health Among Canadian Farmers, Occupational Health, March 30, 2026
