AFBF: Rural Economy Having Impact On Farmer Mental Health

Low commodity prices, trade war with China, uncertainty internationally and the weather.  There’s a host of challenges weighing heavily on the farm economy, and in turn, farmers.  Because of that, the American Farm Bureau Federation recently commission a national poll looking at the state of mental health and wellness in rural America.

“Four in five farmers and farm workers said financial issues, fear of losing the farm, and farm or business problems impact the mental health of farmers," said Ray Atkinson, AFBF director of strategic communications.  "This is very concerning because of the depressed state of the farm economy. We know it’s having an impact. But one of the positive things we learned was that an overwhelming percentage of rural adults, 91%, said mental health is important to them and/or their family.”

Atkinson said 82% of farmers and farm workers also said mental health was important to them, which he found encouraging.  A majority of rural adults says the stigma associated with mental health remains a roadblock.

“Those numbers were lower for stigma around seeking treatment or help for a mental health condition, and three in four rural adults said it’s important to reduce stigma about mental health in the agriculture community. We know there’s a great deal of stigma associated with mental health, particularly in rural areas, so it was good to hear that rural Americans want to break the cycle of stigma.”

Atkinson said AFBF is working with state Farm Bureaus to compile information on available education and support programs in each state.

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