Hello dear readers! I hope the year 2024 is treating everyone well so far….besides this cold. Let’s be real, we’ve all been waiting for it. We’ve had an ‘easy, great’ winter so far. Whenever it takes this long for the cold and snow to come, I can’t help but think that our spring will be absolute hell. Either a snowy tundra or a mucky, muddy mess. My thoughts after go out to the farmers, the newly born calves and their herds, and of course their crops. Today, I want to talk about the importance of farmers' mental health and how much it matters.
Just think realistically for a moment, being a farmer is not an easy career to take on. Have you ever spoken to a farmer who has had an 11/10 WEEK? An entire week with no machinery breakdowns, no deaths of valuable animals, the inevitable, uncontrollable weather they deal with, employee/hired hand issues, the variable crop yields and fluctuating commodity prices, no family stress and other common life stressors? Not to mention the physical demands farmers meet and as they get hurt often, they ignore their health needs for the betterment of their operation. There’s “not enough time”. Then you have the other inevitable, uncontrollable family and world disasters that no one can predict, farming family or not. I’ve talked to a few farmers where they’ve had a consistent 5-7 days, but it's a rare occurrence.
Working at a vet clinic, I definitely have experienced my whirlwinds of weeks. However, we have never had to solely rely on something completely out of our control, the weather. Yes, sometimes it affects if we’ll be able to go out on farm calls or not. Sometimes, I selfishly think “yes, we don’t have to bear the cold” then sit back and realize that the farmers have no choice. I think of the work they needed help with, that we aren’t able to make it there for that help. I think of the work they’ve put in sorting, organizing and getting things ready only for the weather to slap them across the face and say, “not today”.
Again, working at a vet clinic, I experience some of these issues as we work with many farmers. Deal with the backlash of the troubles they endure through the phone or in person. However, I understand them. There’s too many people who simply won’t understand or have the desire to want to understand farmers and all they endure. They do not get enough credit. Not to discredit those in any other career, this is just something I’ve chosen to focus on today. Farmers’ mental health is something I’ve cared about for a long time, growing up in a family full of hard working farmers.
Being surrounded by farmers, I can’t help but notice that they dismiss their health often. I’ve seen it with my own family, clients, friends and acquaintances. Like I mentioned above, “there’s not enough time”. I hear this excuse a lot. However, I think you should always make time for your mental and physical health. I understand the demands farming has, how some days it feels like the day will never end and others there’s never enough time in the day to complete your ‘list’.
Personally, I think your mental health should be at the forefront of everyone’s mind. I understand many don’t and never will feel this way. Farmers are a hard category to convince to get some mental and psychological help. They’re stubborn, they’re set in their ways, they don’t have enough time for appointments and such.
This brings me to my next point, the availability, accessibility, affordability, and acceptability of these counseling and psychotherapy services and resources. Even though mental illnesses have many similarities between rural and urban residents, there is one main difference. The availability, accessibility, affordability and acceptability of mental health services. For example, counseling, psychotherapy with a psychiatrist or psychologist, groups where you can talk amongst one another and resonate, etc.
Being from an area that technically isn’t considered ‘rural’ by 500 people, regardless, I consider myself a part of that rural farming community. According to the National Rural Health Association, the following factors stick out when it comes to rural farmers’ challenges they endure that delay their treatment.
Accessibility for one, rural residents often travel long distances to receive treatment, with that they are less likely to be insured for mental health services as well as providers being less likely to recognize a mental illness.
Availability for two, there is a chronic shortage of mental health professionals to begin with. Those who do practice, are more likely to practice in urban centers/locations.
Affordability for three, some rural residents may not be able to afford the costs required for treatment. Even out-of-pocket care can be difficult for those that lack health insurance.
Finally, acceptability, rural residents may be more susceptible to the stigma of needing or receiving mental healthcare in small communities. Everyone knows each other and the privacy of your treatment journey seems more public. There are fewer choices of trained professionals in rural areas which can lead to a lack of faith in confidentiality. Instead there becomes a reliance on the informal care of family members, close friends, and religious leaders.
There is another factor not listed that farmers deal with that I think should be added, isolation. If you’re in a farming family, you recognize that farmers tend to meet in the morning, noon, and after their day is done. However, inbetween, these farmers remain alone throughout most of their days. Sitting in that tractor, combine, truck or any form of farming equipment for hours alone, while the idle mind tends to stray and get lost in their thoughts. Waiting inside for the weather to subside, or just calm down. Checking and making themselves nuts over stocks and the continuity that doesn’t exist. I know farmers have an array of things they do, but there isn’t much social interaction with the lists they complete.
According to Sanju Pradeepa, when the mind goes idle, negative thoughts tend to take over. When you have no task to occupy your thoughts, your mind may turn negatively to worry, anxiety, or self doubt. The idle mind is when your unpleasant memories or regrets come back to haunt you when you have nothing else to think about. The best way to avoid this mental trap and warfare is to stay as active and engaged as possible in your day to day life.
I want to share an insert from an article from the Rural Health Information Hub regarding rural suicide rates. It’s an incredible site, filled with many resources to help any farmer in need. I highly suggest checking out this site. https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/topics/farmer-mental-health
“According to a 2020 report from the CDC, from 2000 to 2018, the rural suicide rate increased by 48% while urban rates increased by 34%. In 2018, the suicide rate in rural counties was 19.4 deaths per 100,000 compared with urban counties at 13.4 deaths per 100,000.
Farmers and ranchers in the U.S. have demanding jobs that are often compounded by economic uncertainty, vulnerability to weather events, and isolation. Rural agricultural communities may also have limited access to healthcare and mental health services, which can make it difficult for farm and ranch families to receive support when they are experiencing extreme stress, anxiety, depression, or another mental health crisis. Addressing mental health challenges is critical so that farmers can successfully navigate other stressors that are common in their day-to-day lives.
In recent years, the economic outlook for farmers and ranchers has been worsening, leading to comparisons to the Farm Crisis of the 1980s. Increasingly, agricultural families and communities are struggling, contributing to higher rates of suicide among farmers.
This Issue Guide was developed in response to this rising mental health crisis in farming communities. It is designed to provide information about federal, state, and nonprofit resources and promising programs in rural communities that are addressing mental health needs in these populations. It also includes sections about key organizations working on mental health and agriculture issues and stakeholders who may be positioned to offer support to farmers and their families.”
I hope today’s blog has brought some insight to those who haven’t ever thought about farmers’ mental health and its repercussions. I learned so much just writing this and hope to continue to learn and grow more in this division. I hope more people join forces and help stop the stigma around mental health in general, but today I’m giving a shoutout to our hard working farmers and the mental health stigma they too endure. Farmers’ Mental Health Matters. Mental Health Matters. I hope everyone has an amazing week. Always remember, give yourself some grace.
xoxo -KayJo
Cited Sources:
Rural Mental Health Overview - Rural Health Information Hub. Overview - Rural Health Information Hub. (n.d.). https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/topics/mental-health
Sanju Pradeepa (2023, August 8). The dangers of an idle mind: How inaction breeds trouble. Believe In Mind. https://www.believeinmind.com/mindset/idle-mind/#:~:text=Negative%20Thoughts%20Take%20over.,to%20stay%20active%20and%20engaged.