A 'Vocal Locals' social network campaign is associated with increased frequency of conversations about mental health and improved engagement in wellbeing-promoting activities in an Australian farming community.

BACKGROUND: Farmers face numerous barriers to accessing professional mental health services and instead report a preference for informal support systems, such as lay or peer networks. Farmers also experience barriers to investing time in maintaining or improving their wellbeing, stemming from sociocultural norms and attitudes that are widespread in agricultural communities. The Vocal Locals social network campaign is an ifarmwell initiative that aims to promote conversations about wellbeing and challenge attitudes and behaviours that contribute to farmers' poor mental health. METHODS: The Vocal Locals campaign was underpinned by the socio-ecological model which explains human behaviour as stemming from interactions between the individual, their closest social circle, the community, and broader society. The campaign ran in Loxton, South Australia, from June to August 2022. Ten community members (8/10 farmers) became 'Vocal Locals' and were supported to share 'calls-to-action' to encourage people in their social networks to engage in wellbeing-promoting activities. A broader communications campaign reinforced key messages and amplified Vocal Locals' activities in the community. The intrapersonal and community-level impacts of the campaign were evaluated via pre- and post-campaign surveys of Vocal Locals and community members respectively. RESULTS: Vocal Locals reported significantly lower psychological distress (p = .014), and higher positive mental wellbeing (p = .011), levels of general mental health knowledge (p = .022), and confidence helping someone with poor mental health (p = .004) following the intervention. However, changes in stigmatising beliefs about mental illness, confidence recognising poor mental health, and confidence and comfort speaking to others about mental health were non-significant. Community members who were familiar with the campaign reported having significantly more wellbeing-related conversations post-campaign compared to before (p = .015). Respondents also reported being more comfortable speaking to others about mental health or wellbeing (p = .001) and engaging more in activities to maintain or improve their wellbeing (p = .012) following the campaign. CONCLUSIONS: The Vocal Locals social network campaign is an example of how science and community can be brought together to achieve meaningful outcomes. The campaign may serve as a model for others who wish to challenge attitudinal or knowledge-related barriers to help-seeking and improve engagement in wellbeing-promoting activities in difficult-to-reach communities.

Development and initial psychometric evaluation of the Perceptions of Parental Illness Questionnaire for Cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Perceptions of Parental Illness Questionnaire for Cancer (PPIQ-C) among adolescents and young adults (AYAs). METHODS: A sample of 372 AYAs (aged 12-24 years) who had a parent diagnosed with cancer completed the PPIQ-C and the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10). Exploratory factor analyses were conducted to examine the dimensional structure of the PPIQ-C. Scale reliability was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha (α) and McDonald's omega (ω). Pearson correlation analyses were conducted to assess construct validity by examining correlations between PPIQ-C subscale scores and K10 total scores. RESULTS: The PPIQ-C is organised into three sections, each with a separate factor structure for items representing identity, core (emotional representations, coherence, timeline, consequences, and controllability), and cause dimensions of the Common-Sense Model of Self-Regulation. Exploratory factor analyses determined the structure of each section: identity items comprised two subscales (12 items), core items comprised 10 subscales (38 items), and cause items comprised three subscales (11 items). Scale reliability was acceptable for all subscales, except the cause subscale chance or luck attributions (α = 0.665). Correlations between PPIQ-C subscale scores and K10 total scores provided support for construct validity. CONCLUSIONS: Preliminary evidence suggests that the PPIQ-C is a reliable, valid, and useful tool for assessing illness perceptions among AYAs with a parent with cancer. The PPIQ-C may be a useful addition to both clinical practice and future research, however further evaluation work is needed to confirm its structure and robustness prior to use.

'Being a farmer, I mostly always think there is something more important to do': A mixed methods analysis of the skin cancer detection practices of Australian farmers.

ISSUE ADDRESSED: Farmers experience skin cancer and die from melanoma at significantly higher rates than the general Australian population. This study examined Australian farmers' engagement with self-skin examinations (SSE), participation in clinical skin examinations (CSE) by a health professional, and self-reported barriers to engagement with these important skin cancer detection practices. METHODS: A cross-sectional, mixed-methods design was used. Australian farmers were recruited through an industry-based organisation representing livestock farmers. Farmers (N = 498; 22-89 years; 83.1% male) responded to a paper-based survey that included closed- and open-ended questions. RESULTS: Farmers reported engagement with self-conducted SSE and routine CSE that was comparable to findings in the general population, but 29.4% of farmers reported that they had not sought a CSE as soon as possible after noticing changes to their skin. Farmers reported a range of barriers to SSE, including physical difficulties examining their skin, difficulties identifying changes in their skin, forgetfulness, and lack of motivation. Barriers to CSE included accessibility, cost, difficulties finding the right doctor, and avoidance and complacency. CONCLUSIONS: There is a need to make clinical skin cancer detection more accessible to farmers, in addition to promoting self-skin examination and help-seeking behaviours within this at risk population. SO WHAT?: Novel approaches are needed to address systemic barriers faced by Australian farmers. These may include the use of teledermatology or artificial intelligence to assist with CSE. Remote training delivery methods may be also utilised to teach SSE skills to farmers who may be otherwise unable to access such opportunities.

Stressors, Barriers and Facilitators Faced by Australian Farmers When Transitioning to Retirement: A Scoping Review.

Farms in Australia are largely family owned and managed. Complex interactions between farming history, traditions, family, business, succession, identity and place can lead to difficulties in planning for retirement for farmers. Due to the significant implications of this for farmers' health and wellbeing, there is a clear need to determine how farmers may be best supported through the work-to-retirement transition. This scoping review summarises the literature on Australian farmers' retirement experiences and the stressors they face during this transition. Barriers and facilitators that may hinder or help farmers were also explored. The relevant peer-reviewed literature was identified through database searching and the grey literature was collected via a web-based search. Seven studies were included in the review. Poor health and diminishing capacity to work was identified as a key stressor related to retirement. Other drivers of stress (i.e., pressure to live up to farming ideals, perceiving retirement as a threat to self-identity and financial concerns) overlapped with barriers to retirement. Farmers identified gradual transition, strong social networks, variety in interests and activities and early financial and succession planning as key facilitators of retirement. Findings will help inform the development of interventions to assist Australian farmers through this challenging stage of their lives.