How Are Farmers Mental Health Matters Handled in the Modern Day?

In recent years, two Georgia dairy farmers in her community have died by suicide, leaving their families reeling. One, in his mid-50s, had faced tremendous hardship during the pandemic when many farmers were forced to dispose of milk that would otherwise have been sold. Not everyone in crisis shows signs of struggle, however. Newberry’s community also lost a farmer who was only in his mid-30s and had no outward signs of mental illness or financial distress. “His parents were in a tailspin,” says Newberry, who notes the paucity of mental health resources for many in her field. “Farmers often don’t have a place to turn to. Often people won’t come out and say, ‘I’m really struggling,’ but you can tell something is wrong.”

These problems are global. A 2016 study of French farmers found that, compared to the general population, male farmers had a 28% higher risk of dying by suicide. A 2019 study of farmers in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu revealed that a shocking 97% had some form of depression. In 2023, an Australian study found that 30% of farmers surveyed had attempted self-harm or suicide. And in the United States, the rate of suicide among farmers is three and a half times higher than that among the general population.

Unique pressures in a unique industry

Dr. Josie Rudolphi, an assistant professor in the department of agriculture at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, cites farming’s solitary nature as one reason why those in that profession struggle to stay emotionally and psychologically healthy. Unlike people who work conventional nine-to-five jobs, she says, “farmers work in isolation and don’t have coworker accountability.” Without the support and awareness of colleagues, some may not know how much they’re struggling. 

Those who devote their careers to agriculture also face a lack of control over major forces that can shape their livelihoods. Weather, commodity prices, geopolitical issues, and input prices are all perennial challenges. The global pandemic added further stress, and it began at an already difficult time when commodity production was outpacing demand and driving prices down. “COVID-19 didn’t help anybody’s occupation, but farmers were essential. So they continued to work during the pandemic—but packing houses were closed, and it became hard to get inputs,” says Rudolphi. This took a psychological toll, pushing some farmers to the brink of collapse, personally and professionally.

Rising rates and growing awareness

It may seem that farmers are facing a new spike in mental health challenges, given these new obstacles and the troubling health statistics gathered in recent years. But Rudolphi is quick to point out the growing awareness of mental health issues overall. “In the last three to five years, agriculture organizations and everyone in this space have become more willing and able to have conversations around farm stress and mental health.” While mental health challenges are growing, they are also more visible, and that is an important first step toward alleviating them.

Farmer and psychologist Dr. Michael Rosmann agrees, saying that there’s a newfound awareness and understanding of behavioral health issues—a term he prefers to “mental health” due to lingering stigma attached to that phrase. Rosmann is heartened to see new forms of support in place for farmers who might have once struggled alone. “We’re seeing the integration of behavioral health understanding into agriculture across the board. For example, veterinarians are now taking courses to be counsellors so they can deal with clients whose animals die or those who say, ‘I just can’t take it anymore.’ Farmers will talk to them about their grievances and struggles, so the veterinarian is trained to detect human depression and not just animal depression, and to know what to do about it.”

Rosmann stresses that autonomy and self-sufficiency are critical for most farmers’ mental well-being. A 2022 report from the University of Florida backs this up, saying, “What was once a relatively self-sufficient family-farm-based model of agriculture has been transformed into a technology- and market-oriented global ‘industry.’... These changes have forced many farmers…to grapple with greater levels of uncertainty.” This disrupts what Rosmann calls the “agrarian imperative,” which is “an attachment to land, water, air, adequate sunshine, and human capital like the necessary inputs, machinery, and seeds.” When this imperative isn’t met, the grower’s mental health may suffer.

Connection is key

While these practical issues are real, many experts in the field find that the most critical predictor of mental health is social connection. A study by the National Institutes of Health bears this out, reporting that social isolation is a major predictor of mental illness. Since most farmers must seek community outside of their workplaces, new efforts have been made in recent years to help them connect with friends, network with others in the industry, and get referrals for professional and health services. In the United States, the FRSAN (Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network), funded with bipartisan support through the 2018 Farm Bill, plays a major role in this work.

Rudolphi, who directs the North Central chapter of FRSAN, says the networks have been a lifeline. While it’s hard to track the quantitative impact of this work, she sees encouraging evidence that it’s helped. “We offer vouchers for low- or no-cost [mental health] help, and funding for those has been extended because there is so much demand. We also know that 6,000 to 8,000 people a year are calling the concern hotline that we support.” Rudolphi’s chapter offers services in English and Spanish and has also trained 14,000 people in mental health literacy programs. This expanded network of support helps those in need find help faster.

Through the Dairy Alliance, Farrah Newberry has developed a similar resource called the Farmer-to-Farmer Network. “It’s a group of people willing to put their names out there as listeners, if another farmer wants to call and talk. It can be anonymous. Having a peer group to talk to is so important.” Efforts like these are underway around the world: the Canadian Centre for Agricultural Wellbeing supports farmers there, and Europe and Australia have similar programs.

Family members are another important source of support as farmers weather occupational stresses. Through her work, Laura Perry Johnson helps spouses, children, and siblings help each other. She’s a seventh-generation farmer and an associate dean at the University of Georgia, where she spearheads the university’s Women in Agriculture Leadership Initiative. On family farms, she notes, even those who aren’t working in the field contribute to the mental health of the operation as a whole. “Spouses see the impacts of stress firsthand; it can look like irritability or being short-tempered. They may be in the best position to connect a farmer to support.” Perry has seen encouraging trends recently: “Farmers are traditionally very private and proud, and they have been reluctant to open up. But lately people have been more willing.”

Wherever farmers live, stresses like weather and commodity prices will continue to take a toll on their mental health. But with newfound attention to mental health concerns, and an ever-growing network of informed community members to help, farmers can build the resilience they need to stay healthy and keep feeding the planet.