Northamptonshire farmer and former GP says to new farming mental health VR project has potential
This will use immersive story-telling to help bring to life the sector's unique challenges around money, isolation and volatile weather
A Northamptonshire farmer and former GP says he can see the potential in a new mental health initiative using Virtual Reality.
The technology directly allows people to explore issues like financial strains, rural isolation and volatile weather patterns.
'The Rural Minds Project' has been created by Dr Jordan Tsigarides from the University of East Anglia (UEA) and GPs Dr Daniel James and Dr Richard West, in collaboration with Cambridge-based creative technology company Revolve Labs.
It's being showcased at the House of Lords next month. It is thought to be the first of its kind focussed on mental health in agriculture.
Dr Johnny Wake, Managing Partner at Courteenhall, says things are changing in the industry:
"I think there's been a national cultural change when it comes to mental health and that's sort of finally trickled through into farming. I think the suicide rate that I mentioned earlier has obviously had an impact because that's really shocking when you see the numbers and that's made people sit up and pay attention"
He used to work in general practice and saw that farmers were unlikely to come to see their doctor. He says he can see the potential of virtual reality:
"I've seen VR used to help people cure their fear of heights. And as someone who's not massively afraid of heights but has a little bit of fear of heights, I was shocked as to just how real it felt that I was walking on a very high thing. So I think the power of VR in terms of training people it is actually really potentially really useful if it's done well."
How will this all work?
It will use 360° filming and interactive VR experiences to place users directly into the everyday realities of farming life; exploring the challenges of financial strain, weather dependency, isolation, and generational pressure.
The project aims to build understanding and empathy among healthcare professionals, policymakers, and rural organisations, while encouraging open dialogue about mental wellbeing with farmers themselves.
"This project hopes to change that by raising awareness"
Dr Jordan Tsigarides, Rheumatologist and Chief Medical Officer at Revolve Labs, and a Senior Research Fellow at UEA’s Norwich Medical School, said: “The Rural Minds VR experience allows you to step into the boots of a farmer struggling with his mental health and truly shines a light on this difficult topic.
“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.
"This project hopes to change that by raising awareness, improving understanding, and ultimately saving lives through connection and support.”
The main worries facing local farmers, today:
Poor mental health remains one of the most pressing issues in UK agriculture.
The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution’s (RABI) Big Farming Survey (2021) found that 36% of farmers are “probably or possibly” depressed, 47% report constant anxiety, and only 8% of women and 12% of men describe their mental wellbeing as good.
The Farm Safety Foundation also reports that 95% of young farmers believe mental health is the biggest hidden problem facing agriculture today.
What are the next steps from here?
The project team is working with organisations such as the Royal College of General Practitioners to disseminate it as a training tool, while the farmer facing version will be shared through organisations like rural mental health support charity You Are Not Alone.
The resource will be free to access and for those with headsets, such local Integrated Care Boards, the content can be loaded onto them for use with GPs.
There is also an online version that can be used on a browser for those without headsets.
Outreach with VR headsets will also be done at events and through partner organisations.