RICHMOND—In lieu of some daunting statistics about mental health issues among farmers and rural communities, farm groups are reminding farmers of the many resources available to them.

“The human body is amazing,” said Jeremy Daubert, a Virginia Cooperative Extension agent in the Shenandoah Valley. “We are designed to handle stress, and we all cope differently. But it’s the stress over time that’s really detrimental, especially to farmers, because they can’t take a week off here or a month off there. It’s day in and day out.”

Daubert discussed farmer mental health resources on the Virginia Young Farmers Podcast with AgriSafe health communications officer Laura Siegel and Virginia Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers.

According to the National Rural Health Association, farmers are 3.5 times more likely to die by suicide than the general population. And rural populations have a significantly higher suicide rate than urban areas.

During the podcast, Daubert urged those who interact with farmers and rural residents to look for changes in behavior that can be signs of crisis or suicidal intention. The North Carolina Agromedicine Institute said to watch for:

• A decline in care of crops, animals and farm
   
• Withdrawing from social events, family and friends
   
• Change in mood or routine
   
• Increase in farm accidents
   
• Increased drug or alcohol use
   
• Giving away prized possessions, calling or saying goodbye
   
• Making statements such as “I have nothing to live for,” or “My family would be better off without me.”

In moments of crisis, AgriSafe Network’s AgriStress Helpline® is a confidential resource available to the farming community 24/7, which can be reached at 833-897-2474.

“What’s really important about this line, the people who answer the phone are not only trained as crisis-response specialists, but they also have knowledge of agricultural stressors going on in people’s lives,” Siegel said. “They won’t say, ‘just take a break,’ because they know you can’t. They can empathize with the plight of people in agriculture.”

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall discussed AFBF’s Farm State of Mind rural mental health resources, and he shared how opening up to others helped him deal with the loss of his wife.

"I thought I could handle anything,” he said. “But if you bottle things up inside of you long enough it becomes very detrimental to your health and to your ability to do your job."

In January, AFBF established a relationship with the Farm Family Wellness Alliance to launch access to a peer-to-peer support community Togetherall, free to all American farm families 24/7. Additional counseling services also can be made available at no cost. Learn more at togetherall.com/en-us/join/farmfoundation.

Media: Contact Daubert at 540-564-3080 or Siegel at 866-312-3002.