Depression in farming families

Australia’s farming families are known for their strength, resilience, and quiet determination. But behind the gumboots and grit, a silent drought is spreading, not in our paddocks, but in our homes. It’s called depression, and it’s increasingly affecting entire farming families, not just the farmer in the field.

When the Land Suffers, So Do We

Farming is more than a job. It’s a way of life, passed down through generations. But the same factors that make it so meaningful, long hours, isolation, financial pressure, and unpredictable conditions, are also making farming families vulnerable to mental health challenges.

• Financial stress due to rising costs, poor seasons, or market volatility creates a constant pressure cooker. The result? A spouse juggling the books and worrying whether they can pay the bills next month.

• Weather extremes, floods, droughts, and fires don’t just damage crops or livestock. They erode hope. And when one disaster follows another, that erosion can lead to despair.

• Pesticide exposure, according to studies, is linked to higher rates of depression in farming spouses, especially those involved in day-to-day operations and chemical handling.

Depression Doesn’t Stop at the Farm Gate

Research has found that adolescents in farming families experience depressive symptoms at rates up to 70% far higher than their urban counterparts. Why?

• They often feel pressure to help on the farm while managing school.

• They witness their parents’ stress and absorb it.

• They live with uncertainty about the farm’s future, their role in it, and whether they’ll ever escape the cycle.

Meanwhile, spouses and partners, especially women, often form the emotional backbone of the family, bearing the weight of everyone else’s well-being while neglecting their own.

“I have to be the strong one, keep everything running, keep everyone calm even when I feel like I’m breaking.” Farming spouse, QLD

Cause and Effect: When One Struggles, We All Do

Let’s be clear: depression is not a personal failure. It’s a natural response to chronic stress, social isolation, and emotional overload, all of which are common on the land.

But when depression takes hold in one family member, it affects the whole family system:

• A teenager battling depression may withdraw, leading to behavioural issues or even dropping out of school.

• A spouse suffering in silence may become emotionally distant, affecting relationships and decision-making.

• A primary producer under pressure may delay succession planning or make risky financial moves, jeopardising the family’s legacy.

And the effects ripple outward, impacting the wider community. Local schools, footy clubs, and rural businesses all feel it when families are under stress. Farms close. Youth leave. Communities shrink.

Real Stories from the Bush

The Thompsons, a fifth-generation wheat farming family in NSW, didn’t realise their teenage son was suffering until he was hospitalised for depression. His parents were so busy holding the farm together through two failed harvests, they missed the warning signs.

Jo and Mick, dairy farmers in Gippsland, nearly divorced after years of unspoken emotional strain. It wasn’t until Jo sought counselling that they began to rebuild and realised how close they’d come to losing everything they’d built, not just emotionally, but financially too.

These are not isolated stories. They’re becoming the norm unless we act.

The Implication: This Is a Succession Crisis in Disguise

Let’s not sugarcoat it: if mental health continues to erode farming families, we’re not just looking at personal suffering, we’re looking at a full-blown succession crisis.

• Kids who associate the farm with stress, conflict or trauma are less likely to stay.

• Families that don’t talk about their struggles often avoid the “tough conversations,” such as planning for the future.

• Depression and burnout lead to reactive decisions, not proactive ones and in a world of increasing litigation and complexity, that can be fatal to your family’s legacy.

What You Can Do: For Your Family, Your Farm, and Your Future

1. Check in with each other - Not just physically, but emotionally. “How are you really doing?”

2. Create a culture of support - Strength isn’t staying silent; it’s knowing when to ask for help.

3. Seek professional guidance - Not just for mental health, but for succession, asset protection, and legacy planning.

4. Start early - A proactive plan is the best way to protect your family, your wealth, and your peace of mind.

Final Word: Don’t Wait for the Breaking Point

It’s time to shift the conversation from survival to sustainable living and legacy building.

Your land is your legacy. But your family is your future.

Let’s make sure both are protected mentally, emotionally, and legally.

If your family is feeling the pressure financially, emotionally, or generationally we invite you to have a confidential conversation with the team at WLW Group. We’re here to help farming families like yours create smart, protective plans for wealth, succession, and well-being.

Reach out today because protecting your family means more than just protecting the farm.

Book a meeting

Nijo Antony

Director