Farm Stress

Agricultural producers are the backbone of America. They ensure everyone has access to safe, affordable, and accessible food, shelter, and clothing. This responsibility in combination with natural disasters, changing markets, and possible work injuries may lead to increased stress and decreased mental health in farmers and ranchers around the Southeastern US.  Farm stress has been identified as a key indicator of mental health and substance use disorders with rural populations.

Agriculture is one of the top 10 most hazardous industries in the U.S.

• Farm owners, managers, and workers have the highest rates of death due to stress-related diseases like heart disease, high blood pressure, and ulcers. The profession also has the 4^th highest rate of suicide of any profession in the U.S.

Markets are unstable, and farm income is decreasing, while debt is increasing.

• Fluctuating prices for crops and commodities, due to trade disputes, oversupply, and declining consumer demand, have caused financial losses for farmers, which can cause prolonged stress.
• Farmers are increasingly dependent on income from second, off-farm jobs for economic survival.

Natural disasters are devastating to farm businesses, farm families, and farming communities.

• Floods, storms, and wildfires that destroy crops, damage property, and kill animals can drive farmers into crippling debt or force them to leave farming altogether.
• The Backwater Floods of 2019 have claimed homes, farms, forests, and livelihoods for thousands of people in the Mississippi Delta. Even after the waters subside, recovery will take years.
• Farmers are the economic powerhouse of the rural Mississippi communities where they live. When disasters prevent planting or make it harder for farmers to buy new trucks, equipment, or even groceries, businesses in their communities suffer, too.
• Many farm workers are wage workers, and flooding inhibits workers from successfully carrying out the function of their job. This can lead to labor shortages and have an detrimental impact on the financial status of the agricultural producers.

Misuse of opioids is a concern in rural areas.

• Many farm-related injuries require prescription pain relievers, leading to potential misuse and substance use disorders.
• To avoid loss of productivity, farmers and farm workers often don’t take the time for proper treatment of or recovery from an injury. In these situations, an opioid pain reliever is often the quickest way to get back to work.
• Declining mental health and increased stress in farmers and ranchers in Mississippi acts as a catalyst, increasing the chance of suffering from substance use disorder and the possible misuse of prescription opioids.

To meet the needs of farmers, Extension has adopted the Mental Health First Aid program, developed in Australia and managed by the U.S. National Council for Behavioral Health.

Extension has certified instructors strategically placed throughout Mississippi, and Extension agents are trained to provide this support and assistance to the residents they work with. Extension’s century-long relationship of respect and trust with farmers and farm families makes our Extension agents uniquely equipped to provide this assistance.

To find out more about Extension’s work in this area, please contact David Buys, State Health Specialist or Mary Nelson Robertson, project coordinator.