The Saskatchewan Farmer and Rancher Mental Health (FARMh) Initiative

Research Information

Principal Investigator:
Michelle Pavloff, RN, PhD(c)
Research Chair, Rural Health
Schools of Nursing and Health Sciences
Saskatchewan Polytechnic
1-306-659-4261
michelle.pavloff@saskpolytech.ca

Purpose(s) and Objective(s) of the Research
The purpose of this project is to identify key features of a farm-culture friendly mental health support system for Saskatchewan farmers and ranchers. Our objectives are to: (1) assess barriers faced by agricultural producers and their families to access mental health services; (2) determine which mental health services would be most useful for agricultural producers and their families, including service delivery; and (3) examine agricultural producers' and their families' view of farm culture. Our research team wants to use the knowledge you share to develop effective mental health supports that are informed by Saskatchewan farmers and ranchers.

Procedures
We are conducting a 10-minute online survey questionnaire. The questions in the survey ask about demographic information, mental health supports and barriers, and your perception of ‘farm culture’. There are no wrong answers, and you can choose to answer only those questions you are comfortable answering.
You have the opportunity to enter in your contact information for a draw to win one of five $100 gift cards. Your contact information will not be connected to your survey responses and all your responses will be anonymous.

Participant Inclusion & Exclusion Criteria
Saskatchewan farmers and/or ranchers must own or lease the farm or ranch and be working on the farm or ranch full-time. All participants must be over 18 years of age; they can be any sex, any type of agricultural producer (i.e., grain farmer, cattle rancher, dairy farmer, hog producer, etc.). Participants may also have off-farm employment. Participants will be excluded if they: are hired hands or seasonal workers on the farm; are not financially invested in the operation; do not live in Saskatchewan; are under the age of 18; are currently receiving acute mental health in-patient care.

Potential Risks
The survey will include questions about mental and emotional wellbeing, Risks of participating in this survey are low. However, if you do experience psychological discomfort (e.g. sadness, anxiety, etc.) please inform the principal investigator (Ms. Pavloff). Please answer only those questions that you are comfortable with. You can also reach out to 211 by phone, text, or online to be connected to mental health services 24/7.

Potential Benefits
A potential benefit of this research is not guaranteed but may include improved mental health supports for farmers and ranchers in Canada.

Compensation
Your time is appreciated and valued. You will be compensated for your participation with the chance to win one of five $100 gift cards to a vendor of your choice that will be mailed or emailed to you. If you do not complete the survey, you are still invited to receive compensation.

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* 1. Confidentiality and Anonymity

This research is anonymous as the survey responses are not linked to an email address, IP address, or other identifying information. Participation and data will be anonymous, meaning no one will be able to identify who participated in this research, nor will anyone know what was said by individuals. The experiences that are shared will be anonymous before combining them with the responses from others. The data from this research project may be published and presented at academic conferences, in academic journals, and with stakeholders Your identity will be kept anonymous. The survey link is created in SurveyMonkey as the host and the privacy policy is here.

Storage of Data
Your data will be stored securely on a password protected iPad and computer and backed up on OneDrive at Saskatchewan Polytechnic. This consent form and the survey responses will all be stored in separate files on OneDrive at Saskatchewan Polytechnic by Ms. Michelle Pavloff for five years after data has been published. After five years all data will be destroyed.

COVID-19
The research being conducted at the Western Canadian Crop Production Show is under the jurisdiction of the Saskatchewan Health Authority. We are taking all safety precautions to reduce the risk of spread of COVID-19 and expect you to follow public health directives as well.

The following safety protocols will be followed during the COVID-19 pandemic:
·         Hand sanitizer will be made available to you.

Right to Withdraw
Participation for this survey is voluntary and you may answer only those questions that you are comfortable with. You may withdraw from the research project for any reason, at any time without explanation or penalty of any sort. However, after the survey has been completed and submitted by you, it will be impossible to retrieve data to withdraw, as it is anonymous.

Questions or Concerns
If you have questions or concerns, please contact the principal investigator using the information at the top of page 1.
·         To obtain results from the study, please visit our website: www.saskpolytech.ca/farmh after February 2022.

This research project has been approved on ethical grounds by the University of Saskatchewan Research Ethics Board. Any questions regarding your rights as a participant may be addressed to that committee through the Research Ethics Office ethics.office@usask.ca (306) 966-2975. Out of town participants may call toll free (888) 966-2975

By selecting YES, you indicate that you have read and understand the purpose of the study and you agree to participate.
·         I know I can quit this survey any time.
·         I will not share this survey link with anyone else and I will only do this survey one time.
·         I know that my answers are anonymous.
·         I am aware that I can reach out to the booth attendee researchers if this survey causes me mental or emotional distress
·         I consent to participate in this survey.

Yes

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* 2. Age

18-30

31-40

41-50

51-60

61-70

71+

Prefer not to disclose

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* 3. Sex

Male

Female

Other

Prefer not to disclose

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* 4. Resident of:

Saskatchewan

Alberta

Manitoba

British Columbia

Ontario

Quebec

Prince Edward Island

Newfoundland and Labrador

New Brunswick

Nova Scotia

Northwest Territories

Yukon

Nunavut

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* 5. Currently working as...

Cattle rancher

Hog producer

Poultry producer

Dairy producer

Grain farmer

Mixed operation producer

Other (please specify)

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* 6. How long have you been working in your farming/ranching role?

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* 7. Do you work off the farm/ranch:

Part time

Full time

Casual

Not at all

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* 8. Do you have access to counselling services if needed?

Yes

Unsure

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* 9. Do you face any barriers to accessing mental health supports? Please check all that apply.

Lack of availability in rural areas

Skepticism of mental health supports

Inconvenient hours or wait times

Lack of awareness of available supports

Lack of anonymous support services

Cost of supports

Lack of supports specific to farmers or ranchers

I don't have any barriers

Other (please specify)

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* 10. What mental health supports would you find most valuable? Please check all that apply.

Agricultural producers who are trained in mental health who provide peer support to one another

Mental health practitioners who are trained in farm culture

Agricultural specialists who are trained in mental health services (e.g., insurance adjusters, agronomists, etc.)

Mental health telephone hotline answered by mental health professionals trained in farm culture

Virtual mental health care options (e.g., an app to have virtual appointments with mental health care providers on your phone or computer)

Mental health training for rural health care providers

Mental health first aid and suicide intervention training for farming community members

Mental health workers who come to your home

Support groups for farmers and ranchers

Support group for farm and ranch family members

Mental health awareness and acceptance training among farm and ranch families

Financial/farm business aid and advice services

Farm mediation and succession planning advice

Increased access to mental health assessments from physiotherapists, chiropractors, massage therapists

Access to brain injury specialists and/or concussion prevention and treatment care options

Farming and ranching awareness/appreciation campaign for the public

Other (please specify)

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* 11. What is your perception or understanding of 'farm culture'?

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* 12. If you would like to share a photo, please upload it here to show us what farm culture means to you.

PDF, DOC, DOCX, PNG, JPG, JPEG, GIF file types only.

Choose File

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* 13. Contact information to advise if you are the winner: email or phone number

Email Address

Phone Number