OCTOBER 2024 11 MENTAL HEALTH Nowadays, it’s difficult to say we don’t know anyone in a family who has not been impacted by mental health issues. Actually, that’s not quite true. Unfortunately, many people are still afraid to admit they have a problem due to social stigma. Then again, such a stigma does still exist, whether we care to admit it or not. Statistics Canada and its 2022 Mental Health and Access to Care Survey have suggested that approximately one in three Canadians aged 15 and up met the diagnostic criteria for a mood, anxiety, or substance use disorder in the past year. And then there was COVID-19. It was an illness of the body, but its mere presence has been enough to afflict the fragile eggshell mind of human emotions, impacting our mental health as more and more Canadians continue to report increased levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. At the 2024 CAAR Convention on Wednesday, November 20, Chris Beaudry, a fourth-generation farmer and former assistant coach of the 2017/18 Humboldt Broncos, will speak about mental health and the challenges he has faced. It was this Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League team that was involved in a bus crash that killed 16 players and staff. Chris is now a trained mental health advocate, and he will provide insight into his mental health struggles and how it has led him to help others. Do More Ag Agriculture is a tough industry. There’s the anxiety of the weather, pests, diseases, crop yield, having enough money to look after the family, needing new equipment, fixing the old equipment, animal health, and more—there’s no time to take a break. And what about being in the retail sector? There are sales to be made, high prices to be paid for goods thanks to inflation only partially brought about by COVID-19, global supply chain snarl-ups, port strikes, rail strikes, global politics, and war; it just keeps on piling up. For those who believe that only someone affiliated with the ag industry would be better able to underALL TOGETHER NOW Mental health challenges are non-discriminatory, but help is readily available. Andrew Joseph, Editor Life in the farming business can be tough on the emotional psyche. Just like the vehicles we use, sometimes we can use a bit of maintenance. SolStock/E+ photo
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