Identifying stressors and coping resources among Austrian farmers: A mixed-methods study for targeted prevention and health promotion
Open accessAbstract
OBJECTIVE: Farmers face elevated mental health risks due to complex occupational stressors. This study examines subjectively perceived burdens and coping resources among Austrian farmers to inform targeted prevention. METHODS: An anonymous online survey conducted in Austria (October 2024-February 2025) included a sample of 2006 farmers. Two open-ended questions were analyzed using qualitative content analysis to identify categories of burdens and coping resources. These were subsequently analyzed using multivariable binary logistic regression models with sociodemographic, occupational, and mental health variables as predictors. RESULTS: Farmers reported a multifaceted stress experience, with professional (36.3%) and financial burdens (21.1%) most frequently mentioned. Social contacts (30.9%) and personal resources and competencies (19.6%) emerged as the main coping resources. Regression analyses revealed distinct risk and coping profiles: professional burdens were associated with higher age and anxiety symptoms, while familial and interpersonal burdens were more likely among women, younger farmers, and those with depression or problematic alcohol use. Notably, reporting no coping resources was associated with older age and clinically relevant anxiety symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: The findings provide an evidence base for targeted, multi-level preventive interventions aimed at reducing mental health risks and strengthening coping resources in agricultural populations.
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Cites
Podsakoff, P. M., MacKenzie, S. B., Lee, J.-Y., & Podsakoff, N. P. (2003) · Journal of Applied Psychology · doi:10.1037/0021-9010.88.5.879 · Cited by 82,194 · see citing works
The Job Demands‐Resources model: state of the art
Bakker, A. B., & Demerouti, E. (2007) · Journal of Managerial Psychology · doi:10.1108/02683940710733115 · Cited by 12,996 · see citing works
Gender differences in stress and coping styles
Aznar, M. P. M. (2004) · Personality and Individual Differences · doi:10.1016/j.paid.2004.01.010 · Cited by 1,954 · see citing works
Key Risk Factors Affecting Farmers’ Mental Health: A Systematic Review
Daghagh Yazd, S., Wheeler, S. A., & Zuo, A. (2019) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph16234849 · Cited by 393 · see citing works
Rodríguez, F. M. M., & Pérez‐Mármol, J. M. (2019) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01689 · Cited by 181 · see citing works
Stress, anxiety, depression, and resilience in Canadian farmers
Jones‐Bitton, A., Best, C. O., MacTavish, J., Fleming, S., & Hoy, S. (2019) · Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology · doi:10.1007/s00127-019-01738-2 · Cited by 162 · see citing works
Hagen, B. N. M., Albright, A., Sargeant, J. M., Winder, C. B., Harper, S. L., O’Sullivan, T. L., & Jones‐Bitton, A. (2019) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0225661 · Cited by 138 · see citing works
Klingelschmidt, J., Milner, A. J., Khireddine-Medouni, I., Witt, K., Alexopoulos, E. C., Toivanen, S., LaMontagne, A. D., Chastang, J., & Niedhammer, I. (2017) · Scandinavian Journal of Work Environment & Health · doi:10.5271/sjweh.3682 · Cited by 129 · see citing works
‘It's a lonely old world’: Developing a multidimensional understanding of loneliness in farming
Wheeler, R., Lobley, M., McCann, J., & Phillimore, A. (2022) · Sociologia Ruralis · doi:10.1111/soru.12399 · Cited by 76 · see citing works
Working hours, sleep, and fatigue in the agriculture, forestry, and fishing sector: A scoping review
Elliott, K. C., Lincoln, J. M., Flynn, M. A., Levin, J. L., Smidt, M. F., Dzugan, J., & Ramos, A. K. (2022) · American Journal of Industrial Medicine · doi:10.1002/ajim.23418 · Cited by 57 · see citing works
Wheeler, R., & Lobley, M. (2022) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/s12889-022-13790-w · Cited by 38 · see citing works
Substance use disorders in the farming population: Scoping review
Watanabe‐Galloway, S., Chasek, C. L., Yoder, A. M., & Bell, J. E. (2021) · The Journal of Rural Health · doi:10.1111/jrh.12575 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
Rudolphi, J. M., Cuthbertson, C., Kaur, A., & Sarol, J. (2024) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph21060684 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
Farmer’s mental health and well-being: Qualitative findings on protective factors
Saju, S., Reddy, S. K., Bijjal, S. S., & Annapally, S. R. (2024) · Journal of Neurosciences in Rural Practice · doi:10.25259/jnrp_403_2023 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
Nye, C., Wheeler, R., Rose, D. C., Becot, F., Holton, M., Hočevar, D. K., Knook, J., Kyle, S. N., Partalidou, M., Riley, M., et al. (2024) · Journal of Rural Studies · doi:10.1016/j.jrurstud.2024.103506 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Jones‐Bitton, A., Sawatzky, A., Thompson, R., & Hagen, B. N. M. (2024) · FACETS · doi:10.1139/facets-2023-0230 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Fletcher, C. M. E., Stewart, L., & Gunn, K. M. (2023) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph20032588 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Interpersonal Problems and Their Mental Health Correlates: A Meta‐Analytic Review
Iovoli, F., Rubel, J. A., Steinbrenner, T., & Lauterbach, R. (2025) · Journal of Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1002/jclp.70022 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Hughes, D., Skaczkowski, G., Starick, H., & Gunn, K. M. (2024) · Journal of Agromedicine · doi:10.1080/1059924x.2024.2418816 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Support needs, received support and mental well-being in Austrian farmers: a mixed-methods approach
Humer, E. C., Gächter, A., Pieh, C., & Neubauer, V. (2025) · Frontiers in Public Health · doi:10.3389/fpubh.2025.1600624 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Self-citationHumer, E. C., Gächter, A., Pieh, C., Zeldovich, M., & Neubauer, V. (2025) · Archives of Suicide Research · doi:10.1080/13811118.2025.2552954 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Self-citationMental health among farmers in Germany: a scoping review
Heming, M., Scheepers, L., Schmidt-Stiedenroth, K., & Angerer, P. (2025) · Frontiers in Public Health · doi:10.3389/fpubh.2025.1701468 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Dølen, Steinhardt, F., & Røset (2025) · Rural and Remote Health · doi:10.22605/rrh9103 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Ammann, P., Jeong, A. L., Lovison, G., Doetzer, J., Fuhrimann, S., Imboden, M., Ingold, K. M., Winkler, M. S., & Probst-Hensch, N. M. (2025) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/s12889-025-25407-z · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Zeldovich, M., Fuchshuber, J., Humer, E. C., & Unterrainer, . (2026) · Journal of Affective Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.jad.2026.121290 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Self-citation
Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
The role of citizen science in protecting the mental health of the farming population
Tojnko, N. K., Gorišek, M., & Rožič, T. (2026) · ZRC SAZU, Založba ZRC eBooks · doi:10.3986/9789610511793_10
Grobiša, A., Švigelj, B. V., Šprah, L., Grasselli, M. S., Rožič, T., Letina, D., Lah, T. K., Tojnko, N. K., Hočevar, D. K., Hafner, N. D., et al. (2026) · ZRC SAZU, Založba ZRC eBooks · doi:10.3986/9789610511793
Tojnko, N. K., Bogataj, D., & Rožič, T. (2026) · ZRC SAZU, Založba ZRC eBooks · doi:10.3986/9789610511793_12
- Authors
- Schaffler, Y., Fazekas, V., Neubauer, V., & Humer, E.
- Affiliations
- Universität für Weiterbildung Krems (AT)
- University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna (AT)
- Corresponding author
- Humer, Elke
- Venue
- Preventive Medicine Reports
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2026-06
- Volume
- 66
- Pages
- 103475
- ISSN
- 2211-3355 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W7154450855
- Cited by
- 0
- References
- 25
- FWCI
- 0.00
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Preventive Medicine Reports (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Plant Science › Agriculture and Farm Safety
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Stress and Burnout Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Mental Health Treatment and Access
- Keywords
- farmers, occupational stress, mental health, coping resources, perceived burden, financial stress, social isolation, anxiety, depression, alcohol abuse, gender differences, prevention, health promotion, agricultural workforce
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
