Immersive VR Experience Illustrates Mental Health Crisis in Farming

An innovative project has been launched to raise awareness and understanding of mental health in UK agriculture through a Virtual Reality (VR) educational experience that highlights the unique lived experiences of farmers and rural workers, with the aim of better supporting those in need.

Developed by three Suffolk doctors in collaboration with Cambridge-based creative technology company Revolve Labs, the Rural Minds Project is designed to address the growing mental health crisis among the UK’s farming communities where depression, anxiety, and poor mental wellbeing are pressing issues. 

Thought to be the first of its kind to focus on mental health in agriculture, the new VR initiative will be showcased at the House of Lords next month, according to press release from the University of East Anglia (UAE). 

The Rural Minds Project aims to build genuine understanding and empathy among healthcare professionals, policymakers, and rural organisations, while encouraging open dialogue about mental wellbeing with farmers themselves.

By seeing the world through someone else’s eyes, the objective is to create practical ways for doctors to understand and respond to the real-world challenges faced by farmers, and to make it easier for those struggling to seek help. 

Equipping Doctors To Better Recognise Symptoms

Using immersive storytelling, the VR experience allows users to step into the boots of a farmer struggling with their mental health, explained Dr Tsigarides, Rheumatologist and Chief Medical Officer at Revolve Labs, and a Senior Research Fellow at UEA’s Norwich Medical School.

“As doctors, our training doesn’t emphasise the unique challenges that the agricultural community face, leaving us ill-prepared to identify and support those in need,”Dr Tsigarides commented. “This project hopes to change that by raising awareness, improving understanding, and ultimately saving lives through connection and support.”

UK farmers are facing real struggles with isolation, stress, and mental health. Some 36% of farmers are “probably or possibly” depressed, according to the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution’s (RABI) Big Farming Survey (2021), while 47% report constant anxiety, and only 8% of women and 12% of men describe their mental wellbeing as good.

Among young farmers, as many as 95% believe mental health is the biggest hidden problem facing agriculture today, found the Farm Safety Foundation.

Using immersive 360° filming and interactive VR experiences, Rural Minds places users directly into the everyday realities of farming life; exploring the challenges of financial strain, weather dependency, isolation, and generational pressure.

A Free Resource For All

In an effort to drive real social change, the resource will be free to access. 

For those organisations with VR headsets, such local NHS Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), the content can uploaded for use with GPs. An online version is also available for those without headsets, accessed via a web browser.

The team behind the project is working with organisations such as the Royal College of General Practitioners to disseminate the VR experience as a training tool.

The farmer-facing version will be shared through organisations including the rural mental health support charity You Are Not Alone.

The Rural Minds Project is funded by the Felix Thornley Cobbold Agricultural Trust, a Suffolk-based agricultural charity.