The Mental Health of Farmers and Farmworkers Impacted by Flooding and Drought: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Study

Background:

Farmers and farmworkers in England are a population group who are particularly vulnerable to the mental health impacts of environmental stressors, including flooding and droughts. While international studies, particularly from Australia, have examined these impacts, there is a critical gap in understanding the mental health consequences of such events for England’s farming community. This gap is particularly concerning given the increase in frequency and severity of flooding and drought events due to climate change, which will have significant repercussions for the mental well-being of those whose livelihoods depend on affected land.

Objective:

This study aims to investigate the mental health impacts of flooding and drought events on farmers and farmworkers in England. It will examine how these events affect their livelihoods and explore both compounding and mitigating factors associated with mental health challenges.

Methods:

A mixed methods approach will be used, beginning with a national online survey distributed via trusted intermediary agricultural organizations from January 2025 to March 2025. The survey will include the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale to assess participants’ mental well-being. A subset of respondents will be selected for follow-up semistructured interviews in late 2025 to early 2026 to gather more in-depth data. Data will be thematically analyzed, allowing for the identification of key patterns in mental health impacts, coping mechanisms, and resilience-building strategies.

Results:

Survey and interview data will be analyzed during 2025 and 2026 to identify themes and patterns related to the mental health challenges faced by the farming community. This will include exploring coping mechanisms, support networks, and resilience-building strategies, with findings used to inform national interventions. Data obtained from the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale component will be assessed against results from existing studies that have used the scale for other population groups to provide comparative results.

Conclusions:

Findings from this study will inform the development of health protection interventions, supporting the farming community in building resilience to future flooding and drought events. This study will also provide valuable insights into the mental health impacts of flooding and droughts in England, contributing to the growing international research on the mental health effects of climate change.

International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID):

DERR1-10.2196/73827

JMIR Res Protoc 2025;14:e73827

doi:10.2196/73827