The personal cost of farming: the results of a phone-in on rural health

In March 1987 a 2-day phone-in on rural stress was conducted in Adelaide, South Australia. The phone-in, the first of its kind in Australia, elicited an overwhelming response from the rural community in all parts of South Australia. The findings highlighted very high levels of physical and psychological ill-health amongst the callers, along with associated high levels of stress. In the present paper attention is drawn to the implications of these findings for rural health-care workers.