Drought disease

In many respects we are seeing this in the present drought in Australia where the incidence of suicide would seem to be increasing as well as high levels of anxiety, stress and severe depression. Overall, drought has created landscapes of hopelessness, powerlessness and despair. Such things are not readily quantifiable, but in health terms are as important as the starvation and malnutrition consequences of drought.

A number of factors contribute to mental health problems in rural areas during drought. Stock and crop losses alone are stressful, as is the business of carting feed and water and droving stock, but droughts also bring forth a myriad of other family and financial problems. Generally, there is a feeling of helplessness and frustration, particularly with the inability to influence farm or local events, or to have any say in decisions concerning such matters as mortgage or loan repayments, transport services, farm product subsidies or import restrictions.

Other factors such as the need for people to seek off-farm work as well as to continue to work on the farm, the loss of leisure time and a decline in the amount of time spent with family, all add considerably to stress and depression.

Many farming men do not admit to stress or the resultant physical and mental health problems as drought and financial hardship increase. Some resort to increased physical labour with a related decrease in emotional contact with immediate family. Such emotional isolation may impact on other family members and can be a factor in producing lowered self-esteem and depression in rural women.

Alcohol and substance abuse may be one release. The impact on family members can be devastating and lead to inconsistent parental discipline and parent-child conflicts. The disruption and stress to teenagers and young adults who may have to move off the farm or abandon education to seek work, is equally important and can lead to depression and in extreme cases to suicide.

The lack of mental health services in rural areas greatly compounds these sorts of problems and even where they do exist, physical and emotional isolation may reduce the ability of farmers and their families from accessing them because of loneliness, depression and loss of interpersonal skills.

The mental health effects of droughts are not well understood in Australia. Yet they would seem all pervading, particularly in the context of rural health disadvantage. Given that drought is a regular feature of the Australian scene, we need to fully appreciate all its effects, and develop relevant health and other support services available to all people in rural areas.