Inequity amplified: climate change, the Australian farmer, and mental health

Rural Doctors Association Tasma doi: 10.5694/mja18.00624 j See R he “droughts and flooding rains” of our “sunburnt counT try” have been part of the national consciousness for generations of Australians. So it is understandable that many of us may not recognise the impact of increasing drought and climate change in rural Australia. However, rural and remote Australians depend on the land, not only for their own livelihood, but also for the sustainability of their communities. We also know that rural and remote Australians have higher rates of mental health disorders and risk of suicide, but much less access to mental health services. In this issue of the MJA, Austin and colleagues report that drought compounds this disadvantage, placing farmers and their communities at greater risk of mental illness and disability.