IN times of drought, not surprisingly there's an impact on the mental health of some farmers and their partners, but they are not turning to alcohol to drown their sorrows, according to new survey results.
A study shows 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 taking anti-depressants.
"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 survey, conducted in 2007, was based on a sample of 8000 people in regional and rural Australia, 60 per cent of whom were in drought-affected areas.
It shows 17 per cent of farmers in drought areas were suffering mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression, compared with 8 per cent of farmers in non-drought areas.
About 10 per cent in drought areas were taking anti-depressants or other prescribed medication to help them cope, compared with fewer than 3 per cent of farmers in non-drought areas.
The rates of medication use were even higher for unemployed people in drought areas.
Almost 24 per cent of people without jobs were taking anti-depressants or other medication compared with 16 per cent in non-drought areas.
Dr Gray said many farm families were feeling highly anxious, not only about the drought but about the long-term viability of their properties. "Essentially mental health problems have doubled where the shadow of drought has fallen," he said.
But people in jobs in regional areas outside the farm sector had relatively low rates of mental health problems.
The study provided encouraging signs that men and women were not using alcohol as medication. Women in drought areas, in particular, were much less likely to be drinking at hazardous levels than those in areas unaffected by drought. And men were a bit less likely to be abusing alcohol than their counterparts in more favourable regions.
"They had less money to spend on alcohol," Dr Gray said. "But it also suggests people are resisting the urge to turn to the bottle as a means of getting through stressful times."
Even so, hazardous drinking levels - at the time of the survey defined as 15 or more standard drinks a week for men, and eight for women - were high.
For drought areas, 23 per cent of men and 25 per cent of women were drinking at hazardous levels, compared with 24 per cent of men and 30 per cent of women in non-drought areas.
Dr Gray said it was important that people who were feeling down consult their doctor.
The study, co-written by Ben Edwards of the institute and Boyd Hunter of Australian National University, will be presented at the Australian Social Policy Conference today.
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