Bury St Edmunds-born farmer Dan Goodwin speaks out to mark Mind Your Head campaign week

A Bury St Edmunds-raised farmer who battled depression and almost took his own life has spoken out about the importance of mental health awareness to mark a week-long campaign.

Dan Goodwin, 25, worked in agriculture since he was a teenager but was forced to take a break in 2018 after struggling with his mental health.

This week marks the Yellow Wellies annual Mind Your Head campaign which attempts to raise awareness of mental wellbeing in farming and agriculture, and Dan thinks this year is more important than ever.

"In farming, for the last four years it has been absolutely, crucially hard times," he explained.

"Brexit, Covid-19 and other situations like the cost-of-living crisis and issues with the war in Ukraine, have caused so much stress in the industry.

"This is why the Mind Your Head campaign is so important – we need farmers to be aware and understand there is help out there for them," he added.

Dan, who battled depression and attempted to take his own life, isn't the only one with a history of mental health struggles in the industry – in 2021 alone, 36 suicides were registered in England & Wales among the farming and agricultural industry, according to the Office of National Statistics.

He said he thinks a stereotype and stigma exists around the industry, which makes it more difficult for those who need help to reach out.

"If you ask a person who wasn't in agriculture, they would assume farmers are very hardy people, that can get through anything, but we are not," he said.

"We have to make sure we look after everyone, of all ages and all genders."

Dan, who has since returned to the industry and has just come back from a stint of farming in Australia, said that although times have moved very quickly since he first spoke out publicly about his mental health in 2019, things still need to change for farmers.

"It wasn't really spoken about at all at the time, it was very taboo," he said.

"Now we need to work to get the word out there. We need to really get the industry talking."

The Yellow Wellies Mind Your Head campaign will run until February 17. For more information, visit the charity website.

For confidential support on an emotional issue, call Samaritans on 116 123 at any time.

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