Welfare Science

Pig Welfare and Mental Health Connections

Research increasingly connects farm animal welfare with the mental health and wellbeing of people working with animals. Stockperson wellbeing and pig welfare are mutually reinforcing.

Key Facts

Stockpeople who score higher on empathy measures tend to have better welfare outcomes on their farms
Compassion fatigue affects farmers working with animals in poor welfare conditions
Positive human-animal interactions have been shown to reduce cortisol in stockpeople as well as animals
Farmers with high job satisfaction show better livestock welfare outcomes
Rural mental health support programmes that include animal welfare components show promising outcomes

Welfare Considerations

The welfare of pigs and the mental health of stockpeople are connected in both directions. Poor pig welfare creates moral distress for empathic stockpeople, while stockpeople experiencing burnout or compassion fatigue may deliver lower quality animal care. Programmes that support stockperson mental health and job satisfaction create conditions where good animal welfare is more sustainable.

What You Can Do

Support rural mental health programmes that acknowledge the human-animal welfare connection
Engage with farmer wellbeing organisations that connect animal welfare and stockperson wellbeing
Advocate for welfare systems that support rather than burnout stockpeople