High stress, more suicidal thoughts: Austrian farmers face intense pressure

Austrian farmers report significantly higher levels of depression, anxiety, insomnia and stress than the general population, according to a new study from Danube University Krems published in Scientific Reports.

The online survey, conducted between October 2024 and February 2025, included about 2,000 farmers and a similarly sized representative sample of adults in Austria. Depression affected 28.0 percent of farmers, compared with 21.4 percent of the general population. Anxiety stood at 31.1 percent versus 14.6 percent, insomnia at 15.3 percent versus 9.0 percent, and perceived stress at 66.9 percent versus 51.0 percent.

Farmers also reported suicidal thoughts more frequently. The only measure that was lower among farmers was alcohol misuse, reported by 15.8 percent compared with 20.7 percent of the general population. The study also found no typical gender differences in psychological health among farmers, such as higher depression and stress rates among women.

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a stressful profession in which many risk factors lie outside farmers’ control

The research team, led by Elke Humer of the university’s Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, described agriculture as a “stressful profession in which many risk factors lie outside farmers’ control.” Extreme weather, shifting market conditions, low profit margins, animal and crop disease risks, and irregular working hours all contribute to emotional strain.

The authors said farmers’ mental health is increasingly a global concern. Poor psychological well-being can affect not only individuals, but also family farms, agricultural productivity, animal health and welfare, and the sustainability of rural communities.

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increasingly a cause for concern