Mental health support services are hard to find in rural areas. Did you know that 90 million people live in designated Mental Health Professional Shortage Areas? About 4,000 to 6,000 new mental health professionals are needed to fill that gap nationwide, Farm Aid says in a release.
To further complicate this, farmers are struggling with a 50% decrease in net farm income since 2013 and the incidence of farmer stress is reaching a high point. In 2018, the predicted median net farm income is a loss of $1,300, and prices are not expected to rise in the near future. Meanwhile, production expenses and interest rates are increasing, putting family farmers in a predicament.
The Farm Aid hotline was established to connect farmers with operators who are familiar with agriculture and with resources for farmers around the country. Staff refer farmers to an extensive network of farm and rural support organizations across the country, including many specific to mental health services. Farm Aid’s Hotline Team has direct and intimate knowledge of what it means to be a farmer in the U.S. today.
“Today, mental health support services — both professional and church- and community-based — are less available and accessible in rural areas than they were in the 1980s, due to factors such as fewer people attending church, fewer community-building events in which people can interact/establish relationships in rural areas, and a decrease in overall population among rural areas,” Farm Aid explained.
Farm Aid hotline operators work with hotline callers to find the best resources for their individual situation, whether they are looking for assistance with farm stress, financial issues, legal questions or business-related questions.
“In general, rural residents have higher rates of depression, substance abuse and completed suicide. However, farmers face additional challenges to maintaining their mental health,” Farm Aid said.
Mental health professionals point to the nature of farming as one likely cause — it is a business largely influenced by factors that are beyond farmers’ control, including weather, disease, pests, prices and interest rates, and which can come and go without warning. Farmers can be isolated, geographically and socially, since they often work alone.
“Farmers are self-reliant, independent and can be unlikely to ask for help. Many come from a tradition of not sharing their challenges, choosing instead to tough them out on their own,” Farm Aid said. “They work long, hard days and may deprioritize their own health and well-being to get the job done. Stress as a concept may often be seen by farmers as something that urban office dwellers experience.”
Farming itself is unique, and many clinicians don’t “get it,” the release points out. Farmers cannot be advised to take a vacation or search for a less stressful job.
“Farmers feel a tremendous weight at the possible loss of their land, the possibility that they could be the one to lose something that has been in their family for generations. Their role as a farmer is at the root of their identity; it’s their culture, not just a job,” Farm Aid said.
Beginning and established farmers and farmworkers are encouraged to call the Farmer Hotline at 800-FARM-AID (800-327-6243). The Farm Aid Hotline staff has an existing database of Spanish resources and they are working to expand this database even further. Learn more at farmaid.org.
Read More:
Join the Conversation Around Mental Health: You Just Might Save a Life
How to Lighten Your Load When Stress Piles Up
By Her Own Hand: A Farm Girl’s Miraculous Journey from Death to Hope
When Stress Goes Beyond Normal
Why Mental Health Matters on the Farm
How Long Will You Carry Those Rocks? A Guide to Mental Health
5 Ways to Work Through Difficult Times
Mental Health on the Farm: One Swine Production Manager’s Story
Don’t Doubt Your Purpose When You Find Yourself in a Weird Spot
Your Mental Health Toolbox: How To Recognize The Warning Signs
