Farming by its very nature can be an isolating profession and a lot of pressures have been brought to bare on farmers in more recent times.
This is according to Dr Lorcan Martin who spoke to IFA members about mental health in farming during a Monaghan Co Executive meeting last night.
Dr Martin says there is a difference between mental health difficulty and mental illness.
He also pointed out that people can take their own lives because of anger, despair and serious life events - not because they have a mental health difficulty.
Dr Martin highlighted the importance of people meeting each other in a social setting and catching up with each other.
He said it was a much healthier option than that of the digital version.
"The stigma that we have had in the past around mental health and mental illness is improving but we still have a way to go," Dr Martin continued.
"Not everyone is comfortable talking about it.
"Issues around mental health don't necessarily have to be the same thing as mental illness.
"People can have acute stress and even chronic stress, which if that goes on for a long period of time, can just simply wear somebody out."
