Citation

Duke S, Macdonald J, Kennedy AJ. Aust. J. Rural Health 2023; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, Association for Australian Rural Nurses; National Rural Health Alliance, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/ajr.12968

PMID

36762906

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: This paper draws on the principles of suicide risk safety planning to co-design a farming community resource for preventing and managing risks to mental health. SETTING: This project was undertaken in the Great South Coast Region of Victoria, Australia. PARTICIPANTS: A working group (n = 6-8) from the Victorian farming community contributed to the iterative co-design and co-production of Steering Straight: My plan to keep on track. Twenty-four members of the farming community pilot tested Steering Straight.

DESIGN: Co-design to develop, pilot and refine the resource with working group and target farming community.

RESULTS: Steering Straight was viewed positively by the farming community as a tool that prompts prioritising well-being; encourages reflection, planning and concrete steps towards taking action; helps set and meet personal goals; is simple and practical; and identifies pathways to support. Most participants (94%) completed Steering Straight on their own, taking approximately 15-30 min to create their personalised plan. Questions most likely to be filled in related to recognising personal signs of deteriorating well-being and listing and planning enjoyable activities. A majority of participants (67%) kept a hard copy of their Steering Straight plan on hand to refer back to, while 78% expressed a preference for a digital version.

CONCLUSION: The co-design and co-production process resulted in a tailored prevention-focused resource that was accepted and valued by the farming community.

Language: en

Keywords

mental health; co-design; farming community; preventative health; well-being