Mental health among farmers is a concern, especially in the midst of turbulent weather and markets hppr.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from hppr.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
May 16, 2021
URBANA, Ill. – America s farm families are paying a heavy mental toll as they deal with unpredictable weather, variable input costs, long work hours, and unpredictable commodity prices. A gap exists between farm families and the resources they need to keep them safe.
University of Illinois Extension believes ag producers, agribusiness personnel, and others who support the agricultural community can stand in the gap and connect Illinois farmers with the resources they need. As their neighbors, customers, business partners, and clients, you may feel helpless, says Karla Belzer, Extension family life educator, but Illinois Extension can provide you the tools to identify mental health issues in our agricultural communities and the communication skills to support and save lives.
Depression, anxiety, and suicide are more prevalent among agricultural populations than the general public.
A lot of people work tough jobs where they don’t have much control. But instead of merely being annoyed by a Lumberghian boss, imagine your livelihood was at the mercy of the weather and global trade wars.
That’s farming. And it’s stressful. So much of what farmers experience is completely out of their control.
Josie Rudolphi
A new online resource, FarmStress.org, aims to help farmers manage stress, anxiety, depression, or substance use issues. It’s a project of the North Central Farm and Ranch Assistance Center, a 12-state collaborative based at the University of Illinois that is funded by the USDA via the Farm Bill.
December 13, 2020 at 9:45 pm CST
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Researchers in University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences and U of I Extension are working to ensure farmers and their families have access to resources and services they need to manage stress, anxiety and other mental health issues.
URBANA, Ill. â Even without the added stress of the COVID-19 pandemic, agricultural producers experience high levels of anxiety, depression, substance use and death by suicide.
Researchers at the University of Illinois and U of I Extension are working to ensure producers and their families have the resources and access to services to manage their stress and mental health.