Steph Schmidt - ACT for Ag

Psychologist, farmer, wife and mum.
2020 SA Agrifutures Rural Women's Award Winner
Learning to thrive in adversity, helping rural Australia to grow!

[Steph Schmidt - ACT for Ag @ACTforAg]

Females in Ag, I'd love to hear if you feel seen in the current farmer mental health conversations?

#ausag #womeninag

[Steph Schmidt - ACT for Ag @ACTforAg]

@MadeStuchbery @theweeklytimes Thanks for your continuing work in sharing these stories

[🏜️ Farms Advice Podcast @FarmsAdvice]

We thought that we should ask the tough questions on Farmer Wants a Wife #FarmsAdvice

what questions would you ask a farmer as an "outsider" partner

#farmerwantsawife

[Steph Schmidt - ACT for Ag @ACTforAg]

@tdeb007 @EmCharlotteAnn Kind of like this.....

[Steph Schmidt - ACT for Ag @ACTforAg]

Females in Ag, I'd love to hear if you feel seen in the current farmer mental health conversations?

#ausag #womeninag

[Steph Schmidt - ACT for Ag @ACTforAg]

Can I break 100 votes on here? Would love to hear your comments too

#AgTwitter #ausag

[Steph Schmidt - ACT for Ag @ACTforAg]

Females in Ag, I'd love to hear if you feel seen in the current farmer mental health conversations?

#ausag #womeninag

[Steph Schmidt - ACT for Ag @ACTforAg]

@techeweup @AgPeriUrban There is definitely this belief that the female is the to support everyone else. I wonder what would happen if we started to focus on improving the relationships on farm, rather then an individual model?

[Steph Schmidt - ACT for Ag @ACTforAg]

@stationmum101 @DavidSandow1 @FarmsAdvice @AgPeriUrban I think they need to have enough knowledge. They don't need to be a farmer, but do need to be informed and understanding. In saying that, psychs are also trained to bring evidence-based strategies regardless of individual background, so I don't think it's always necessary

[Steph Schmidt - ACT for Ag @ACTforAg]

@AgPeriUrban @FarmerHealth These podcasts and recordings are incredibly important in the story they share. I also wonder though, we often still only talk about female MH in the context of supporting their husband, or what's happened after the husband has tragically died.

[Steph Schmidt - ACT for Ag @ACTforAg]

@AgPeriUrban Agree the emphasis on mateship ignores how crucial intimate partner relationships are for both partners mh, especially when managing a relationship and a farming business

[Steph Schmidt - ACT for Ag @ACTforAg]

@stationmum101 @FarmsAdvice @AgPeriUrban Agreed, and the trouble is it's incredibly hard for mental health professionals to live and work locally. I wouldn't offer individual therapy services in my local town

[Steph Schmidt - ACT for Ag @ACTforAg]

@FarmsAdvice @AgPeriUrban I also think we need to shift away from the argument that more boots on the ground is the solution, we've been trying that for years and it's both a funding and a people issue. We can access tele-health. I think we need to rethink the models, upskill farmers before crisis hits

[Steph Schmidt - ACT for Ag @ACTforAg]

@FarmsAdvice @AgPeriUrban Agree, the data covers both and reflects that both male and female farmers are struggling. The problem is in visibility. If the is a female farmer mental health issue, and the majority of women dont feel seen in the media conversations I think something needs to change.

[Steph Schmidt - ACT for Ag @ACTforAg]

Did You See This Week's National Farmer Mental Health Report? - https://t.co/SrO1BcOdBo

[Steph Schmidt - ACT for Ag @ACTforAg]

@EmCharlotteAnn Thanks Emily, I think many of us have that automatic link to thinking of men. Trying to work out if we need a different conversation or just to expand the one there is. It definitely is complicated!

[Steph Schmidt - ACT for Ag @ACTforAg]

#itscomplicated voters, please share your thoughts. DM me if you'd prefer

[Steph Schmidt - ACT for Ag @ACTforAg]

@FlandersNorah I agree, rural women's mental health is definitely another invisible issue

[Steph Schmidt - ACT for Ag @ACTforAg]

@AgPeriUrban Thanks Lisa, in the current awareness discussions and media stories on Farmer mental health, as a female farmer or female in ag do you feel represented or seen in the stories?

[Steph Schmidt - ACT for Ag @ACTforAg]

@severs_jeanette https://t.co/PMNZ4YsLuM

This is a 2022 literature review - worth checking out - so far I've only read the abstract

[Steph Schmidt - ACT for Ag @ACTforAg]

@severs_jeanette Glad to see this. I think there are some important notes in the study, but I would also like to see the nature of the data behind it. There are some very broad claims made, with a lot of catastrophing about farming mental health

[Steph Schmidt - ACT for Ag @ACTforAg]

@SITC_CEO_Shanna @NationalFarmers Such an important report, and 100% agree about the impact of alcohol. I can't remember when doing the survey whether there were any direct questions about alcohol use