Causes and effects of stress on farmers: a qualitative study

This study explored stress in farming with farmers from an area of North Yorkshire. It focused on three main issues: farmers' perception of the stress involved in farming, the causes of stress and the personal effects of stress. A qualitative methodology was adopted and semi-structured interviews con ducted with 20 farmers aged 25-63. The results showed that farming was commonly perceived to be stressful, and the majority of participants thought that the occupation was becoming increasingly more stressful. From the inter views, it was possible to identify paperwork, finance and the BSE situation as the three main causes of stress. In addition, many of the farmers admitted to being affected by stress on occasions and numerous different effects were reported. Further research in the UK on farmer stress is recommended.