Elke Humer Elke Humer Christoph Pieh Christoph Pieh Viktoria Neubauer (Centre for Food Science, Clinical Department for Farm Animals and Food System Transformation, Departments, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna) Viktoria Neubauer Wiley 2026 Background and Aims Although previous studies point to a high mental health burden in farmers, little is known about mental health in Austrian farmers, especially about factors associated with poor mental health. Methods We assessed mental health in Austrian farmers and explored potential risk factors for poor mental health. A total of N = 2006 farmers (38.5% women; 61.4% men; a distribution closely mirroring the Austrian farming population) with a mean age of 45.04 ± 10.31 years took part in an online survey from October 2024 to February 2025 in which validated screening tools for symptoms of depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), sleep disorders (ISI-2), perceived stress (PSS-4), and alcohol abuse (CAGE) were applied. Gender, alongside other sociodemographic, work-related, and behavioral variables, was included as a predictor in multivariable logistic regression analyses. Results We found that higher adjusted odds for exceeding cut-offs for clinically relevant mental health symptoms were associated with female gender, younger age, single individuals, physical inactivity outside the profession, smartphone usage, higher working hours, and financial insecurity. Conclusion In conclusion, this study highlights the complex interplay between sociodemographic factors, work-related variables, and health behaviors in determining the mental health outcomes of Austrian farmers. Targeted interventions that address risk factors, such as promoting physical activity and providing business/economic support, could help mitigate the mental health challenges faced by farmers. PDFDocument eng 2026-08-07T08:23:15.401917786Z 2026 Farmers Health Behaviors Mental Health Occupational Risk Factors Sociodemographic Risk Factors 632648 b application/pdf http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/