According to a recent report ‘A Climate of suffering’ released by the Climate Institute, people living in rural Australia will feel the effects of climate change more than their city counterparts.

People living in rural communities are particularly exposed in a deteriorating climate with severe weather events, which will add to the chronic difficulties and inequities already experienced by many rural communities.

According to the Murrumbidgee and Southern NSW co-ordinator of mental health promotion and prevention Brad Moore, climate change affects whole communities and there is evidence of an increased risk of suicide in rural areas compared to metropolitan areas.

“There are a number of reasons for this increased risk, including different access to general services such as GPs, the stoic attitude and stigma attached to seeking help, the concern about lack of confidentiality in a country community.

“It is often considered a weakness to say you have a mental health issue,” Mr Moore said.

He said it was also true that farmers had a stoic attitude and thought if something was broken, they would fix it themselves.

Rural mental health worker Jen Keioskie said the Rural Adversity Mental Health program (RAMP) was established to assist with the impacts of the drought on the mental health of rural communities.

“It has expanded to encompass other issues such as climate variability and its consequences such as drought, flood, fire and plagues,” she said.

“Extreme weather events increase people’s vulnerability to mental health problems such as depression, anxiety and post traumatic stress disorder.

“I have personally seen this improve over the years with many older farmers openly acknowledging their struggles with depression.

“This is something which would never have happened in the past, and is a direct result of improved community education and acceptance that mental health problems should be seen no differently to physical health problems,” Ms Keioskie said.