The Resilience and Mental Health and Wellbeing of Farm Families Experiencing Climate Variation in South Australia
Greenhill, J.; MacDougall, C.; Debra King; Anna Lane
Year: 2009
Research project: Resilience and the mental health and wellbeing of farm families experiencing climate variation in South Australia
Abstract
Consultations with service providers and policy practitioners indicate that the research has policy implications. These include:
On the basis of this research the goal of attaining psychological wellbeing in the South Australian State Plan requires:
Key Messages
This project examines the resilience and mental health and wellbeing of farm families experiencing climate variation in South Australia.
Resilience is a dynamic process wherein farm families display positive adaptation (i.e. will get by) despite experiences of significant adversity due to drought.
Our findings indicate that in achieving the positive outcome of ‘getting by’ in the domains of livelihood and mental health and wellbeing during drought, adult members of farm families exhibited a stance which informed the way that they negotiated with their context (spheres of influence) to utilise particular resilience processes (resources and strategies).
These three components of resilience are examined in detail in the report.
- The stance was gendered and influenced decision-making and actions in ways that produced different outcomes for men and women.
- The context consisted of three spheres which influenced the opportunities and constraints within which farm families made decisions and took action: the micro sphere of the farm and family; the meso sphere (regional level) of community, industry and environment; and the macro sphere of government, economy and society.
- The processes were the resources and strategies that farm families utilised to get by in the areas of livelihood and mental health and wellbeing. The interaction between processes was also important.
Consultations with service providers and policy practitioners indicate that the research has policy implications. These include:
- Services in rural areas need to be continuous (at a base level) with less reliance on crisis driven responses
- Focusing on regional development initiatives, including community capacity building, leadership development, and creating employment
- Ensuring that rural women’s needs are met as well as those of rural men, and recognising the gender dimension of policy and service provision
- A systemic view of policy and service provision, involving integration across policy areas
On the basis of this research the goal of attaining psychological wellbeing in the South Australian State Plan requires:
- A salutogenic, strengths-based approach to health
- An understanding of the personal, social and contextual factors that facilitate health and wellbeing
- Measures that incorporate changes across a range of health, livelihood, environmental and social domains
Full text: Resilience_Farm_Families_Final_Report.pdf
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