Yorkshire stoicism makes farmers reluctant to acknowledge problems’

Community and healthcare workers say they are concerned about possible rises in alcoholism and domestic violence if simmering tensions go unchecked.

One nurse told The Yorkshire Post of calls for help from homes in which families have been living in an atmosphere of depression and frustration.

“The mental health aspect is going to be a lot greater than people are envisaging,” said Anne Reed, who carries out health checks on farmers and their families in Thirsk for the Yorkshire Rural Support Network, a partnership of public and volunteer agencies. Amid a reported 30 per cent increase in beer, wine and spirit sales, she said the challenge of isolation brought with it the risk of excessive consumption.

“The cost of keeping safe is very high. We could be seeing more alcoholism,” she said. “People are drinking more because they’re at home rather than going out socialising. And obviously there’s the risk of domestic violence if people are cooped up in a house.

Kate Dale, coordinator of the Rural Support Network, said the restrictions were taking a toll on many older members of the rural community.

“They were brought up to be self-sufficient and to just deal with things – not necessarily to talk about them. That’s a strength but it also means they may be reluctant to ask for help, and that really can cause frustration within families,” she said. “Younger people are more open to talking about how they’re feeling.”

The Reverend Siân Lawton, a curate in the Masham group of churches, said the problems were often compounded by a “Yorkshire reticence” to discuss them.

“It’s sometimes a struggle getting through to them that providing help isn’t a problem,” she said.

Her husband, Rev Chris Lawton, rector of Lower Wensleydale, added: “There are some very stressed farmers out there. The livestock markets were a social lifeline and now they’re closed, that has disappeared overnight.

“Men are particularly reluctant to say when something’s wrong, and if you add in the typical Yorkshire stoicism, it’s a toxic mix.”

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