The Farm Safety Foundation has launched a campaign to help mental health in the industry after figures were released to show a link between poor mental health and farm safety.

There is an awareness week, from February 10-14, highlighting the issue of mental health in farmers and the Foundation has launched the 'Mind Your Head' campaign, focussing on the physical and mental wellbeing of an industry under pressure.

Stephanie Berkeley, manager of the Farm Safety Foundation, insists she is pleased to see conversations about mental health but feels more is possible.

She said: “It is encouraging to see more discussions about mental health, more awareness of the various mental health conditions and more emphasis on the support available to the farming community, however more still needs to be done.

"While farmers are often culturally ill-equipped to discuss mental health issues, one of the most effective methods in combating stigma is talking about it.

"This is what we have been doing and will continue to push, especially this Mind Your Head week.

"It is vital to build a culture within agriculture that explicitly recognises how the job can impact on the wellbeing of farmers and their families and how poor mental health can have a direct and deadly impact on the job.

"This isn’t someone else's responsibility, this is on our watch and, in these challenging times, it’s down to each and every one of us to look out for our friends, colleagues, neighbours and ourselves.”

Those seeking more information on how to tackle poor mental health in the industry can visit the Farm Safety Foundation’s website www.yellowwellies.org