Stress and help‐seeking for drought‐stricken citrus growers in the Riverland of South Australia

OBJECTIVE: To explore the psychological impact of a problematic industrial climate for citrus growers, their help-seeking behaviour and perspectives on ways to encourage better use of rural mental health services. DESIGN: Thematic analysis of in-depth interviews. SETTING: The Riverland of South Australia. PARTICIPANTS: Sixteen citrus growers (12 male, 4 female) from eight Riverland towns. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Citrus growers' perceived factors relating to psychological stress, coping behaviours, impact of stress on well-being, help-seeking behaviours, barriers to help-seeking and ways to encourage better use of rural mental health services. RESULTS: Work-related stresses grouped under broad themes, including 'Uncontrollable events', 'Financial hardship' and 'Pressure', had negative effects on participants' well-being. Furthermore, it was found that significant difficulties arise because many of the stresses which growers endure are not controllable, and that the alleviation of strain with the help of mental health professionals is uncommon because of barriers preventing help-seeking. Five broad themes of barriers to help-seeking were extracted from the data: 'Self-reliance', 'Social image', 'Lack of knowledge', 'Negative perceptions of health professionals' efficacy' and 'Restrictive lifestyle factors'. A specialised model of occupational health for citrus growers was proposed. CONCLUSIONS: These results highlight the practical need to address the identified issues in delivery and promotion of health services when facilitating help-seeking within this group. The findings also add to our knowledge of occupational health psychology broadly.