Farmer John Magill in southeastern Australia inspects a dried up dam on his farm this week. Over half of Australia's farmland is in drought, which is being described as the worst on record. Some regions have had no rain for nearly six years. The drought has also seen a rise is farmer suicides in rural Australia, with one farmer taking his own life every four days. (Photo by Ian Waldie / Getty Images)

By Adele Horin AUSTRALIA’S extended drought is having a severe impact on the mental health of farmers and their partners — but they are not turning to alcohol to drown their sorrows. A new study shows that men and women in drought-affected areas are drinking less alcohol than those in areas unaffected by the long dry spell. But they are much more likely to be swallowing antidepressants. “People might think drought is part of life in Australia and that farmers become resilient, but this sustained drought is having a severe impact on farmers’ mental health,” said Matthew Gray, deputy director of the Australian Institute of Family Studies, and a co-author of the study. The 2007 survey was based on a sample of 8000 people in regional and rural Australia, 60 per cent of whom were in drought-affected areas. It reveals that 17 per cent of farmers in these areas were suffering from mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression, compared with 8 per cent of farmers in non-drought areas. About 10 per cent of the farmers in drought areas were taking antidepressants compared with less than 3 per cent of farmers in the non-drought areas. …

The long, long dry: less drink, more drugs via Climate Progress

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