Understanding stress factors in farming: A nationwide survey on occupational strain and mental health among Austrian farmers

Situated at the intersection of ecological, economic, and social transformations, farmers operate within structurally embedded conditions with important implications for mental health. This study examines work-related stressors among Austrian farmers, exploring gender and age differences and their associations with mental health indicators, thereby addressing a gap in the European context. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among 2006 Austrian farmers in autumn/winter 2024/2025. Participants rated 19 predefined work-related stressors and completed standardized instruments assessing depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), perceived stress (PSS-4), sleep disturbances (ISI-2), alcohol misuse (CAGE), and suicidality (SBQ-R). Qualitative data were collected via an open-ended question about further stressors. Bureaucracy/documentation was rated as the most burdensome stressor, followed by agricultural policy, price fluctuations, and high workload. Men reported higher stress from animal welfare activism, public pressure, and policy, whereas women reported higher stress from caregiving, physical labor, and generational conflicts. Younger farmers experienced more stress from financial concerns, workload, and generational conflicts than older farmers. While structural stressors, particularly those related to bureaucracy and agricultural policy, were perceived as most burdensome, stressors linked to resource depletion, such as financial strain, high workload, and social isolation, showed the strongest associations with impaired mental health. The findings highlight a distinction between perceived burden and psychological impact: stressors that threaten key resources within farmers’ livelihoods are more strongly associated with mental health outcomes than those experienced as administratively burdensome. This underscores the need for interventions that not only address structural conditions but also strengthen psychosocial resources within the socio-structural context of rural life. • Bureaucracy is the top stressor for farmers. • Mental health in farmers links to finances and isolation. • Men stress more over public pressure; women over caregiving and physical labor. • Younger farmers experience more stress from finances and workload.