During the outbreak of equine influenza that occurred in Australia in 2007, mental health researchers identified extremely high levels of psychological distress in horse owners and other people involved in the equine industry. According to Melanie Taylor, PhD, an occupational psychologist and senior research fellow at the University of Western Sydney’s School of Medicine, “Previous studies have identified poor psychological morbidity, grief, depression, anxiety, and even post-traumatic distress in farmers and farming families after outbreaks of such diseases as foot and mouth and Ovine Johne’s (a chronic wasting disease of sheep).” Continue reading…