Farming Risk Factors, Gender, Social Support, and Mental Health of Crop Farmers in Ghana

Abstract

The crop production sectors face many challenges that impact the productivity of farmers in Ghana. However, one critical health component which has received less attention is the impact of the challenges such as the attack of pests and diseases, loss of crops, and the lack of access to farm inputs on the mental health of crop farmers. This study aimed at exploring the institutional and ecological risk factors influencing the mental health of crop farmers, gender differences in the risk factors, as well as the role of social support in the mental health of the crop farmers in Ghana. A national scope of the problem was assessed with the 2009/2010 and 2013/2014 panel data of the Ghana Socioeconomic Panel Survey (GSEPS) and qualitative data gathered in the then Western and Eastern regions of Ghana. The fixed effects panel regression model and thematic analysis were used to analyze both data. The findings revealed significantly high depression among crop farmers, with females being highly depressed. Farming risk factors including lands watered from a source other than rainwater, loss of crops, agricultural media extension, and the access to agricultural assets put farmers at risk of depression. Contrarily, urban farmers, farm rights, security on plots, and the number of farmlands decrease the risk of depression. Furthermore, social support comprising of social networking and institutional (social) services acts as a buffer for the mental health of the farmers. Nonetheless, media extension service (extension service through the radio, television and newspaper) put farmers at risk of depression. Generally, depression was more common among food (maize) compared to cash (cocoa) crop farmers. The findings are relevant to stakeholders to consider promoting mental health education among farming populations, and possibility the development of a comprehensive agricultural mental health policy. It is important to intensify gender-sensitive programmes in agriculture and equip crop farmers, particularly food and cash crop farmers with access to farm tools, irrigational avenues and extension services in the ongoing structural changes in the agricultural sector.