Managing Farm Stress: Helping Farmers Navigate Mental Health

In partnership with: Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development

A groundswell of support to make mental health a priority in rural America is encouraging farmers to care for their minds as much as their crops and livestock.

Farmers have weathered numerous droughts, natural disasters and recessions throughout the past 100 years, but today the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) partners with Michigan State University (MSU) Extension to empower them to seek help.

“I recognize the struggles the farming community oftentimes deal with,” says Eric Karbowski, a community behavioral health educator who focuses on farm stress for MSU Extension. “Sometimes, communication barriers exist as farmers are traditionally a fiercely independent subculture. We want the farming community to know the resources that are available and continue to create support systems for them.”

Years ago, former MDARD Director Gordon Wenk established a partnership with MSU Extension to expand the focus on mental health into rural areas of Michigan, where suicide death rates are higher. Among its services, MSU Extension offers a series of farm stress programs that are now web-based, a self-paced online course called Rural Resilience, as well as telehealth support. This pilot teletherapy program, available by phone or computer, connects farmers with master’s-level therapists, all of whom understand agriculture. As of September 2020, an MDARD grant is funding the expansion of mental health awareness into existing farm financial support services offered by MSU Extension.

See more: Mental Health Resources for Farmers

Each platform recognizes the uniqueness of mental wellness on the farm, where weather, depressed markets, farm accidents and estate transitions can amplify stress. These resources also share overarching goals: identifying signs of stress, presenting mechanisms to cope, and providing education about suicide awareness and the support available.

Keep an Eye Out

Stay aware and seek help for those farmers in your life who demonstrate a large swing in emotional highs and lows. Warning signs come in different forms, so keep an eye out for changes. Maybe a once-manicured farmstead begins to look less maintained, which should cause concern for the farmer’s well-being. Warning signs of suicide can also include talking about death, giving away possessions or saying goodbyes.

Karbowski says to ask open-ended questions and offer a listening ear, which could be just the support that stressed farmers need. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at (800) 273-TALK (8255) can handle crisis situations. MSU Extension’s Managing Farm Stress website, can help farmers and their support groups find the resources to manage stress.

“I think one of the underlying issues is destigmatizing mental health,” Karbowski says. “We want to let the farmers know there are those supports out there, that they don’t have to try and take care of everything on their own. There are people working hard behind the scenes creating resources and tools for them to help them as they help us.”

See more: Growing a Healthy Mind is Key to Mental Wellness on the Farm

Mental Health Resources and Warning Signs

If you or someone you know start demonstrating some of the following warning signs, seek help:

• Problems sleeping
• Feeling anxious or worried
• Thoughts of suicide
• Substance abuse
• Isolation
• Emotional outbursts
• Dramatic changes in weight or appetite

Here are some available resources:

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: Call (800) 273-TALK (8255), Text “TALK” to 741741, afsp.org

MSU Extension’s Managing Farm Stress: canr.msu.edu/managing_ farm_stress