Rural, regional and farming mental health services

Seek support

Living in rural or regional Victoria has many benefits but it can sometimes make it harder to get the mental health services you need. Help and support is available to those who live in rural locations, including farmers and their families.

As a general rule, the more remote your location, the more difficult it is for public and private health practitioners to service your area. This means that you need to be proactive when dealing with your mental health.

Regional mental health needs

People in rural and remote areas including farmers experience long-term and wide-ranging sources of stress such as:

• threat of drought, flooding, fire, pest plagues and livestock issues
• isolation
• financial worries
• youth unemployment.

These can contribute to psychological distress and mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety.

Public mental health services in regional Victoria are often some distance away or more costly than they are in the city. Also, the culture of independence, which helps people get by in lean times, can make them feel as though they should be able to manage their problems on their own. For these reasons, many people end up ignoring mental health issues instead of asking for help.

Support for farmers

Studies suggest that farmers who are depressed don’t tend to use the word ‘depression’ to describe their state of mind, but may describe it as ‘stress’ instead. However, stress and depression are not the same and require different approaches to treatment.

Stress is a response to a challenging or dangerous situation. It occurs when there is an imbalance between the demands being made of you and your resources to cope with those demands. Sometimes stress can be a positive thing that helps you to get things done, but if it is causing you discomfort and distress, it can lead to other mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression.

Depression is more than feeling stressed or ‘down in the dumps’. A diagnosis of depression requires at least five of the following symptoms, almost every day, over a two-week period:

• feeling sad or flat
• losing interest and pleasure in normal activities
• appetite or weight loss (also binge or comfort eating and weight gain)
• sleep problems, such as an inability to fall sleep, or early waking
• feeling tired all the time
• concentration problems
• feelings of restlessness, agitation, worthlessness or guilt
• lack of motivation to socialise or exercise
• feeling that life isn’t worth living.

A detailed list of the symptoms of depression can be found on our Depression explained page.

Getting help for mental illness

Sometimes it can be hard to ask for help or tell others how you feel. You might feel embarrassed or worried that someone will judge you. At other times, you might not know where to start.

There are a lot of different ways of getting support for mental health issues and, to make it worthwhile, it is important you choose a method that works for you.

Find information about mental health services and programs.

Self-help strategies for mental wellbeing

Alcohol is not an effective treatment for poor mental wellbeing. It is actually a depressant. You will need to find other ways to support your wellbeing if you want to feel better. Suggestions include:

• Seek out trusted sources of information.
• Consult with your doctor or community health professional for information, advice and referral. Your doctor may suggest a short-term trial of antidepressant medication.
• Listen to your friends and family. If they say you are drinking too much, then you probably are.
• Don’t bottle things up – talk with loved ones and trusted friends.
• Discuss your anxieties, worries and feelings with a counsellor. They are trained to help you come up with practical solutions. Many counselling services are available online or over the phone.
• Make a deliberate effort to cut back on drinking. Some simple strategies are to stop keeping alcohol in the house, have alcohol-free weeks, and participate in febfast, Dry July or Ocsober activities, and alcohol-free social functions. Seek support to help you tackle alcohol dependence.
• Explore proven self-help strategies for improving social and emotional wellbeing, such as regular exercise, healthy eating habits, a regular sleep routine, making time to do things you enjoy, keeping socially connected and finding things to laugh about.

Visit your doctor

Your local GP (doctor) is often the best place to ask for help. Explain how you are feeling. They will be able to advise you on where to find more community mental health treatment and support, and they can also refer you to a counsellor, psychologist or psychiatrist if necessary.

Your doctor will assess whether you have a mental health disorder and will benefit from a Mental Health Treatment Plan. If you have a Mental Health Treatment Plan, you will be entitled to Medicate rebates for a certain number of visits to psychologists, occupational therapists and social workers.

Where to get help

• Your GP (doctor)
• Beyond Blue Infoline Tel. 1300 224 636
• CRANAplus Bush Support Services Tel. 1800 805 391 – provides rural health professionals and their families with support to successfully manage the stress associated with remote area and rural practice
• DirectLine Tel. 1800 888 236 (Victoria) – provides confidential alcohol and drug counselling and referral, for people of all ages and backgrounds, 24 hours a day
• DACAS (Drug and Alcohol Clinical Advisory Service) Tel. 1800 812 804 (Victoria) – a 24-hour telephone consultancy service for professionals who need advice on the clinical management of alcohol and drug issues
• Family Drug & Gambling Help Tel. 1300 660 068 (Victoria) – provides support for families experiencing alcohol and drug-related difficulties
• WayAhead (NSW) Mental Health Information Line Tel. 1300 794 991 – WayAhead also provides an online directory of mental health services, mental health fact sheets, education and support groups throughout NSW
• SuicideLine Victoria Tel. 1300 651 251 – for counselling, crisis intervention, information and referral (24 hours, 7 days)
• Suicide Call Back Service Tel. 1300 659 467 – Nationwide service offering telephone and online counselling to people 15 years and over who are suicidal, caring for someone who is suicidal or bereaved by suicide. Especially suited to people who are geographically or emotionally isolated
• Lifeline Tel. 13 11 14 – an anonymous and confidential 24-hour crisis support line. You can call Lifeline to discuss all types of personal difficulties, including thoughts of suicide, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Lifeline provides immediate support by phone, via online chat or face to face
• MensLine Tel. 1300 78 99 78 – telephone and online support, information and referral service, helping men to deal with relationship problems in a practical and effective way (24 hours, 7 days)
• National Centre for Farmer Health Tel. (03) 5551 8533
• AgHealth Australia Tel. (02) 6882 1486
• National Debt Helpline Tel. 1800 007 007, 9.30 am to 4.30 pm weekdays – a free financial counselling and debt advice phone service for Australians (includes interpreter services)
• Mindspot – free online assessment and treatment for anxiety and depression