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Rural Minds offering free mental health resources for farmers and rural communities
The program director for Rural Minds says a new initiative is helping address mental health challenges producers face in rural communities.
Carol Anderson says farmers are nearly 50 percent more likely to be impacted by depression and suicide compared to those living in urban areas.
“They have these business pressures and emotional pressures with a desire to fix it yourself,” she says. “It’s important to get the help you need, when you need it.”
She tells Brownfield the Farmer Mental Health Resilience Program is working to resolve mental health stigma.
“It’s so important to continue talking and find your people, so that you can have those conversations,” she says. “We want farmers to be able to say, I’m really struggling right now.”
Anderson says more than 60 percent of U.S. farmers and farm workers reported increased stress levels over the last five years.
If you or someone you know needs help, please reach out to the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 9-8-8.
Additional resources can be found here.
AUDIO: Carol Anderson, Rural Minds
