Conversations and guidance for rural communities to improve mental health outcomes will be the focus of a national program returning in 2024.
Grain Producers Australia, together with partners Nufarm, GrainGrowers, Lifeline and Rural Aid, are continuing the Farmer Mates Mental Health Initiative with National Ambassador Brad Hogg in an effort to improve wellbeing in rural areas.
ABC SA Country Hour spoke to Brad about the launch of the program as he prepares to speak about his experiences with mental health and share real life examples from his career as an elite Australian cricketer.
Brad said the program was renewed in its focus this year to provide local leaders with the skills and encouragement to support each other into the future.
"It's all about connection," he said.
"If you stay connected, connected generally, your mental well-being isgoing to be a lot better.
"Looking at the stats, only 24 per cent of farmers in March 2023 were saying that the health was good or very good.
"We want that a lot higher, so we want to make sure that we help those leaders and help those farmers raise that percentage up at least around the 50pc over the next couple of years."
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