Reflections on FARM-SP and COPING feasibility studies

DR TASMIN FISHER Keele University

DR FARAZ MUGHAL Keele University

SAPC Mental Health Special Interest Group National 2025 Primary Care Mental Health Conference,

Edge Hill University

We both attended the recent national primary care mental health conference at the beautiful campus of Edge Hill University. It was the first conference we had attended where we were surrounded by the view of a lake. There were a mixture of practitioners, researchers, policymakers, and people with lived experience in attendance and refreshments and lunch breaks were vibrant and allowed for networking and idea-sharing.

Farming communities are underrepresented in research and healthcare. In a recent survey by the Farm Safety Network, 95% of young farmers felt that mental health was one of the biggest hidden problems facing the industry at the moment. FARMSP is a multi-method qualitative study aiming to share the experiences of farming communities who are living with anxiety, depression, stress and distress, ultimately hoping to develop an intervention to reduce self-harm and suicide in the community. We presented the study at the SAPC Mental Health Special Interest Group Primary Care Mental Health Conference and were awarded the best poster prize. We are heading into a summer of data collection and will be showcasing our findings over the coming months.

Dr Fisher: “It was a welcome surprise to have been awarded the best poster presentation. This is the first conference in which we’ve presented the study to share our early experiences of working with farming communities across the Midlands. We are looking forward to continuing our engagement with the farming community over the next few months and delivering this vital research to improve help-seeking for mental ill-health”

While farmers are a high-risk group for self-harm and suicide, young people unfortunately, also are. Self-harm is most prevalent in people 16-25 years and within NHS services, young people seek help after self-harm most often from general practices. At present there are no effective interventions for GPs to offer young people in consultations and thus the COPING intervention was developed—a brief psychosocial GP-led intervention aimed to help the young person avoid future self-harm over two GP consultations. It is being tested in a feasibility study across general practices around England and is due to close shortly. The study found that recruitment to target (n=31) was achievable, and that GPs could be trained and retained to deliver COPING. Analysis against progression criteria is ongoing but there are positive signals that delivering a large-scale RCT to determine the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the COPING intervention in NHS general practice is likely feasible. Faraz presented the findings from this feasibility study and won best oral presentation at the conference.

Dr Mughal: “I am delighted to have been awarded the best oral presentation which is a recognition of all the study team, participants, patients, and wider stakeholders that informed and contributed to the delivery of the COPING feasibility study. Self-harm in young people remains a critical problem and new and effective interventions in general practice are crucially needed. We hope to be able to continue our work and assess the effectiveness of the COPING intervention in a large-scale clinical trial.”

FARM-SP: This Research Award (award number: MH079) was funded as part of the Three NIHR Research Schools Mental Health Programme. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care.