With mental health challenges in rural Australia reaching increasingly concerning levels, leading animal health company Zoetis has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the wellbeing of the country’s farming and regional communities by continuing its long-standing partnership with mental health organisation Beyond Blue.
Zoetis has partnered with Beyond Blue since 2016, donating more than $900,000 to help fund mental health support services for people living outside major cities. This year marks the tenth year of the partnership, with Zoetis aiming to raise $100,000 by the end of the year by donating $5 from each sale of the company’s livestock, pig, poultry and companion animal vaccines and parasiticide products (up to $100,000), to reach the $1 million milestone.
Fred Schwenke, livestock business unit director, says the campaign reflects the need for a long-term approach to addressing mental health in regional areas. “Supporting rural Australia on its long journey to better mental health is not a quick fix – it’s a sustained and compassionate effort,” Fred says.
“We know farmers and rural communities are strong, but they’re not invincible,” he adds.
“Improving mental health outcomes requires more than just awareness; it needs consistent, meaningful action and unwavering, long-term support.
That’s why, 10 years on, Zoetis remains firmly committed to its partnership with Beyond Blue.”
Australia’s rural and remote populations face a unique set of challenges.
Nearly seven million Australians live outside major cities and while mental health conditions occur at similar rates across the country, people in rural areas often face greater barriers to getting help as access to services can be limited by distance, cost, poor connectivity, or concerns about privacy and stigma.
Farming communities in particular are under pressure, dealing with everything from natural disasters and economic instability to the emotional toll of isolation.
Recent data shows around 30 per cent of farmers have experienced a decline in their mental health in recent years.
The biggest stressors include weather events and natural disasters, reported by 47 per cent of farmers, followed by financial pressure at 36 per cent, and rising costs at 35 per cent.
Almost half of Australian farmers report experiencing feelings of depression, while 64 per cent say they have dealt with anxiety.
Alarmingly, 45 per cent of farmers say they have had thoughts of self-harm or suicide, and nearly a third have attempted it.
The situation is compounded by a reluctance to speak up.
More than half of farmers say they stay silent about their mental health because they feel uncomfortable or fear they will burden others.
One farmer dies by suicide every 10 days – a rate twice as high as that of the general population.
Derek Schoen, a farmer from Corowa and a board member of Beyond Blue, says rural Australians need support recognising the realities of life on the land.
“Rural Australians are more vulnerable due to their geographical isolation, often demanding work conditions, and limited access to support,” Derek says.
“Natural disasters, like the recent floods in NSW, also add to the enormous toll on our mental health,” he says.
“This could mean watching a life’s work destroyed overnight, facing the immense task of rebuilding infrastructure and restocking, or struggling to feed livestock we have been lucky enough to save.
Our farmers are some of the most resilient people in the country, but we still need to ask for help.
This campaign is about ensuring help is there when and where people need it.”
Every two minutes, someone in Australia contacts the Beyond Blue Support Service.
In the past year alone, more than 276,000 people reached out to the service via phone or webchat.
Free and confidential, the service provides 24/7 access to experienced counsellors, offering support when it’s needed most.
The most common issues people seek help for include anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, grief and adjustment issues, all of which are compounded by the stressors of rural life.
Beyond Blue chief executive Georgie Harman calls each contact a moment of courage.
“When someone in rural Australia picks up the phone or jumps online to talk to Beyond Blue, it’s often the first step in turning things around,” she says.
“It takes strength to reach out for support but getting help early can ease distress and stop issues from escalating.
This partnership with Zoetis is so vital for us, as it helps make that step possible for more people.
To date, funds donated by Zoetis have helped more than 17,000 people across rural and regional Australia access mental health support through our support service.”
Feedback from callers shows the positive impact of reaching out.
The majority of people who contact the service report an improvement in their wellbeing, with 76 per cent saying they felt less distressed after making contact.
Eighty-five per cent said they received the information they were seeking, and 83 per cent felt heard and understood.
Between 15 July and 31 October 2025, Australians can support the Zoetis and Beyond Blue initiative by purchasing eligible Zoetis livestock, pig, poultry, and companion animal vaccines or parasiticide animal health products. Zoetis will donate $5, up to $100,000, to Beyond Blue Support Services, to help more people in rural communities access the support they need.
To learn more or find out how to support the campaign, visit: www.zoetis.com.au
If you or someone you know needs support, the Beyond Blue Support Service offers free and immediate counselling, advice and referrals via phone, webchat or email. To talk to a mental health professional for free, contact the 24/7 Beyond Blue Support Service on 1300 22 46 36. The free web chat is also available 24/7 at beyondblue.org.au/support-service/chat and you can join the online forums for free.
CASE STUDIES
Ross Read – central Victoria
Ross Read is a farmer who grew up in central Victoria, where he still lives with his family. He now works for Dairy Australia, providing training and support to dairy farmers, as well as managing his own small beef herd.
Ross says growing up he was a typical farm kid, helping his parents out on weekends and school holidays.
In 1995, he took over the family farm with his brother and was excited about this new adventure.
But underneath the surface, he says he had a bubbling anger.
“I always had this short fuse,” he says.
“If something went wrong, I’d just explode. Once I was going off, I had no control.”
In 2003, the brothers expanded the farm, hoping the drought they were experiencing would be short-lived.
But by 2008 the drought was still going, and the stress was immense.
By then, Ross also had a wife and two young sons. The stress of the drought, coupled with his anger, put a huge strain on his family relationships.
Realising his behaviour was impacting those he loved, Ross reached out to his GP.
He finally talked about his experience of childhood trauma, which was impacting his mental health, manifesting as anger, depression and anxiety.
Ross says talking to my GP made me feel a sense of relief, and that I didn’t need to hide the truth.
“He talked me through getting a mental health plan and referred me to a psychologist,” he explains.
Ross has been seeing his psychologist for over a decade now.
His recovery journey has been long, and he knows the challenges with his mental health aren’t over, but he is so glad he sought help.
Ross says long-term support is required to recover from a mental health condition.
“It’s a life-long journey which has its ups and downs.
There will be times where your resolve will be tested. Support is not limited to an individual, it’s a whole-of-community effort.”
Debbie deKroo – Townsville, Queensland
Debbie deKroo grew up in Victoria but has lived in many regional areas around Australia. Townsville is now home for her and her family.
Always a resilient and positive person, Debbie’s mental health began to be affected after she and her husband took on demanding work roles that required frequent travel, while parenting two young children.
She describes juggling work and family commitments during this time as walking a tightrope. “We got through, but there were times when everything was not OK.”
Debbie resigned from her senior HR role and took on a local administration job to be at home more.
However, as her two boys became teenagers and began to test boundaries, she faced fresh challenges.
She felt worried and stressed, struggled to sleep and experienced headaches and dizziness.
At the same time, she found it hard to focus on work and often became teary.
“It felt like I had lost my joy in life. I felt low, flat, sometimes numb. My strength and confidence were gone,” Debbie says.
After crying every day for two weeks, Debbie realised she needed support.
She made an appointment with her GP, who was kind and compassionate, and organised a mental health plan along with a referral for a psychologist.
Debbie’s psychologist helped her understand more about the symptoms and conditions of depression and anxiety, along with strategies to help her feel better.
She continued to see her GP and psychologist and over time, was able to bring fun and joy back into her life.
It took six months after that first GP visit, but Debbie finally had a moment of joy while stand-up paddleboarding with her sister and niece – “it was the first time I had laughed in months, and I realised then how far I’d come.”
Now, over a decade later, Debbie focuses on things which help her stay well for the long term, like better nutrition, eliminating alcohol and trying Pilates and yoga.
