Merle Massie, Executive Director, The Do More Agriculture Foundation
Have you noticed a lot more talk about mental health lately? Me too. I think it’s a good thing. Let me tell you why.
Growing up in a small rural farming community north of Prince Albert, mental injury, mental illness, and mental health were not topics for coffee table conversation. In fact, silence, shame and stigma usually surrounded these issues, reserved for hushed whispers and, a lot of the time, active shunning.
That collective community cold shoulder mattered.
When people talked negatively about illnesses and injuries caused by mental distress, it had a huge impact. People heard and saw how their neighbors talked, how the neighbors thought and how they reacted.
The result? When people were too afraid of community shame, it could stop them from seeking help. Without help and support, the injury or illness wasn’t treated.
When an illness or injury of any kind goes unmanaged, people might self-medicate with alcohol or other addictions. There can be isolation, lost hope, anger, violence, and suicide.
Community stigma is a powerful force.
While I see increased awareness of, and support for mental health, I think there is more to do. And, the action needed is more than just personal responsibility (call a help line, or go to therapy, or see a doctor).
We know that there remains a high level of community stigma around mental health. It’s a little bit better, and it’s not gone.
When someone takes casseroles and goes to clean the driveway and hosts a dance to fundraise money and develops a schedule to run errands for those with a cancer diagnosis, that’s community support in action.
When people in community hear that someone has a mental health challenge, and withdraws all support and connection by saying ‘they need space,’ that’s not support. It’s actually embedded stigma. It sounds good, but it drives isolation, shame, and difference.
Community stigma gets traction on the ground in sly ways. When a company or farm won’t interview or hire someone who has had a known challenge to their mental health, secrecy and shame persist, and carry weight.
People can see and feel community difference between one health issue and another. That difference has an impact.
When any level of community stigma exists, there is a level of community responsibility to address it.
Change the conversation in your community. There are things that can be done right in your community so that more people feel supported and included, no matter their health challenge.
Here are a few ideas to help your community build strength for mental health:
- Create space for community learning. Host workshops and training events focused on increasing knowledge about mental health. Everything from general workshops to Mental Health First Aid training can help people learn to help each other.
- Host a mental health speaker at an upcoming community event. Get the conversation going!
- Map your local resources and assets. Canvas your local area and build a list of all local resources, such as professionals (therapists, home care, ministers, medical staff), local support groups, emergency call lines, and nearby support. Sometimes, people just need to know where they can go for help. Share that list in all public spaces in your community, and online.
- Invest in building a library of books and resources. Host that library in your local library branch or municipal office, as a resource centre for mental health.
- Connect curriculum and community. What are the students learning at school or in their clubs and activities about mental health, and how can your community be part of the action?
- Organize and support local peer and chat groups. Having space to connect, share, and be included and welcome goes a long way.
- Champion locals to level up their skills. From peer training to SafeTALK suicide prevention to Mental Health First Aid, additional local capacity is an investment in your community’s future. Think of it like regular First Aid and CPR – the more people have these skills, the better we all are.
- Start a ‘check in’ campaign. Remember phone trees? Dropping by for coffee? Actively making connections and reaching out creates bridges of welcome to overcome isolation and shame and show community support. A little can mean a lot.
Remember: when there is community-level stigma, breaking that sense of shame will require energy and focus from the community. Check out more ideas at www.domore.ag.
Merle Massie is a Saskatchewan farmer and writer, raised in the forest fringe north of Prince Albert and now farming in west central Saskatchewan. She is the Executive Director of The Do More Agriculture Foundation, championing mental health across Canadian agriculture and rural spaces.
