Swiss farmers confront burnout as pressure mounts

Swiss farmers face a higher risk of burnout and suicide than the wider population, SRF reports. Psychological distress often remains hidden, particularly among men in farming. Two young farmers have now spoken publicly about their experiences.

Ralf Kleger, 33, remembers an evening in spring 2021 when he sat alone in his living room and could do nothing but cry. He had taken over his family farm in early 2020 and had been its manager for just over a year.

Kleger said the long working hours and feeling solely responsible for everything and everyone had placed him under severe pressure. He was 27 when he took over the farm, which included a small dairy operation and several hectares of cider and eating apples in the canton of St Gallen.

Responsibility for the animals, administration, family concerns and machinery problems eventually became too much. Public criticism of farmers also affected him deeply. He said he had grown up believing that people should not admit when they were struggling psychologically because doing so would mean he was not a proper farmer.

Pirmin Bötsch, now 36, experienced burnout three years ago. The vegetable farmer near Lake Constance broke down one morning in the office of the farm he runs with his family. When his sister asked how he was doing, he initially could only cry.

After months of suppressing his feelings and remaining silent, Bötsch said he realised he had taken on too much and had failed to set sufficient boundaries. Crop damage caused by bad weather also placed him under considerable strain. Because he runs the farm with his siblings and father, he was able to take time off to recover.

Long hours and financial pressure

Stefan Paulus, a labour researcher at the Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences, studies burnout prevention in agriculture. He said the three stress factors most often identified in research are very long working days, bureaucracy and a lack of appreciation from society.

Farm families also face a significantly higher risk of poverty than other self-employed people, Paulus said. The average hourly wage in agriculture is 17 Swiss francs, which is not enough for many families. A second job can provide additional income, but it also increases the workload and the risk of burnout.

Women and men on farms are affected by these pressures. Paulus said women were more likely to talk when they were struggling psychologically, while men usually suffered in silence.

Traditional beliefs remain widespread among many farmers, including the idea that only those who work hard have worth or that asking for help is a sign of weakness. Such attitudes discourage people, especially male farmers, from speaking about their mental health.

Paulus said younger generations were increasingly aware that psychological health was important for keeping a farm running and were more willing to discuss it. A new charter also aims to connect farmers’ associations, researchers, helplines and other organisations more effectively, with the goal of reducing the high number of burnout and suicide cases in Switzerland.