Dublin City University (DCU) is inviting rural communities across Avondhu, Ballyhoura and Duhallow to get involved in a new initiative aimed at improving mental health awareness and early support within farming families.
The FarmFaMHealth Project has explored the mental health experiences, challenges and support preferences of farm family members in Ireland, highlighting the need for greater awareness and more proactive approaches to protecting mental wellbeing in rural communities.
The project report found that many families wait until a serious mental health crisis develops before seeking support. The new, non-clinical training programme aims to address this by focusing on daily self-care, early intervention and practical ways farm families can support one another.
DCU is now looking to bring this free, flexible hybrid training programme to more rural communities across Ireland. Groups and organisations across Avondhu, Ballyhoura and Duhallow interested in hosting a session locally are encouraged to contact Matthew Toher at matthew.toher@dcu.ie.
The call comes as the programme continues to expand nationwide, with a free Farm Family Mental Health Training session taking place in Carrigtwohill later this month.
The Carrigtwohill Farm Family Mental Health Training event will take place in Carrigtwohill Community Centre on Wednesday, 29th July at 3pm.
The training is open to farm family members over the age of 18 who contribute to the farm but are not the primary farmer. The session aims to provide participants with practical tools to recognise challenges, support those around them, and encourage healthier conversations around mental health within farming communities.
Tea and coffee will be provided on the day.
Registration is available through the following link: https://forms.gle/hnwprDbzVes3QASt8
The FarmFaMHealth report and details of future training locations are available through DCU’s project channels. Rural communities interested in hosting a session are encouraged to contact Matthew Toher.
The initiative is supported by the DCU School of Health and Human Performance, with researchers including Jack Sweeney, Sinéad O’Keeffe, PhD, and Anna Donnla O’Hagan, PhD.
