Rural Response to Farmer Mental Health and Suicide Prevention – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on Rural Response to Farmer Mental Health and Suicide Prevention.
Engaging Communities Through Issues Forums: A How-To Guide for Onsite and Online Community Engagement
Offers guidance on community forums as a technical education tool, including information on planning and hosting a forum, strategies for engaging communities, and resources to support committees and stakeholders. Features examples from forums on farm vitality, farmer mental health, and family health. Requires email registration to view the guide as a flipbook, with a PDF download option at the bottom of the screen.
Author(s): Maria Pippidis, Bonnie Braun, Jessie Ketterman, Shoshanah Inwood, Nicole Wright
Date: 03/2022
Sponsoring organization: Cooperative Extension Service
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Offers guidance on community forums as a technical education tool, including information on planning and hosting a forum, strategies for engaging communities, and resources to support committees and stakeholders. Features examples from forums on farm vitality, farmer mental health, and family health. Requires email registration to view the guide as a flipbook, with a PDF download option at the bottom of the screen.
Author(s): Maria Pippidis, Bonnie Braun, Jessie Ketterman, Shoshanah Inwood, Nicole Wright
Date: 03/2022
Sponsoring organization: Cooperative Extension Service
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Meeting the Behavioral Health Needs of Farm Families in Times of Economic Distress
Offers strategies to support development and integration of behavioral health services across healthcare and community-based organizations, including leveraging payment systems to support coordinated care for farm families and aligning federal grant programs to address mental health and substance use disorders. Features recommendations including integrating primary and behavioral care for initial treatment of mental health and substance misuse concerns, expanding the workforce to improve rural behavioral health services capacity, increasing telehealth services, and expanding private and public insurance coverage.
Author(s): Andrew F. Coburn, Alva O. Ferdinand, Alana Knudson, et al.
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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Offers strategies to support development and integration of behavioral health services across healthcare and community-based organizations, including leveraging payment systems to support coordinated care for farm families and aligning federal grant programs to address mental health and substance use disorders. Features recommendations including integrating primary and behavioral care for initial treatment of mental health and substance misuse concerns, expanding the workforce to improve rural behavioral health services capacity, increasing telehealth services, and expanding private and public insurance coverage.
Author(s): Andrew F. Coburn, Alva O. Ferdinand, Alana Knudson, et al.
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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Farmer and Rural Perceptions of Mental Health
Presents findings of a poll of 2,004 rural adults, addressing impressions of mental health stigma in rural and agricultural communities. Describes barriers to seeking mental health assistance, who rural adults feel comfortable talking to about stress or mental health issues, and the perceived mental health impacts of farm stress on farmers and farm workers. Compares results to polls conducted in 2019 and 2020.
Date: 12/2021
Sponsoring organization: American Farm Bureau Federation
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Presents findings of a poll of 2,004 rural adults, addressing impressions of mental health stigma in rural and agricultural communities. Describes barriers to seeking mental health assistance, who rural adults feel comfortable talking to about stress or mental health issues, and the perceived mental health impacts of farm stress on farmers and farm workers. Compares results to polls conducted in 2019 and 2020.
Date: 12/2021
Sponsoring organization: American Farm Bureau Federation
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An Analysis of Suicide Risk Factors among Farmers in the Midwestern United States
Study examining psychological, social, and contextual risk factors for suicide among farmers. Draws data from 600 surveys of agricultural producers in Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, and South Dakota. Discusses rates of depression, anxiety, farming-specific stressors, social support, and coping strategies.
Author(s): Andrea Bjornestad, Courtney Cuthbertson, Jessie Hendricks
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(7), 3563
Date: 03/2021
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Study examining psychological, social, and contextual risk factors for suicide among farmers. Draws data from 600 surveys of agricultural producers in Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, and South Dakota. Discusses rates of depression, anxiety, farming-specific stressors, social support, and coping strategies.
Author(s): Andrea Bjornestad, Courtney Cuthbertson, Jessie Hendricks
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(7), 3563
Date: 03/2021
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Addressing Higher Risk of Suicide Among Farmers in Rural America
Policy brief highlighting factors contributing to the higher risk of suicide among farmers, including financial pressures, social pressures, and access to care. Offers policy recommendations to promote and improve farmers' mental health.
Author(s): Rosalie Eisenreich, Carolyn Pollari
Date: 02/2021
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Policy brief highlighting factors contributing to the higher risk of suicide among farmers, including financial pressures, social pressures, and access to care. Offers policy recommendations to promote and improve farmers' mental health.
Author(s): Rosalie Eisenreich, Carolyn Pollari
Date: 02/2021
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Mental Health in Rural America
Discusses mental health issues among farmers and ranchers. Highlights some of the stressors for farmers and farm families, as well as strategies and resources to help cope with farm-related stress.
Date: 08/2020
Sponsoring organization: American Farm Bureau
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Discusses mental health issues among farmers and ranchers. Highlights some of the stressors for farmers and farm families, as well as strategies and resources to help cope with farm-related stress.
Date: 08/2020
Sponsoring organization: American Farm Bureau
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Developing and Implementing Farm Stress Training to Address Agricultural Producer Mental Health
Offers an overview of a U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency online training program for agribusiness professionals to offer mental health resources to farmers and ranchers. Describes issues of mental healthcare access for rural and farm populations and the process of developing the training program, as well as challenges, successes, and practical implications of the program.
Author(s): Courtney Cuthbertson, Alison Brennan, John Shutske, et al.
Citation: Health Promotion Practice, 1524839920931849
Date: 06/2020
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Offers an overview of a U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency online training program for agribusiness professionals to offer mental health resources to farmers and ranchers. Describes issues of mental healthcare access for rural and farm populations and the process of developing the training program, as well as challenges, successes, and practical implications of the program.
Author(s): Courtney Cuthbertson, Alison Brennan, John Shutske, et al.
Citation: Health Promotion Practice, 1524839920931849
Date: 06/2020
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Depression, Alcohol and Farm Stress: Addressing Co-Occurring Disorders in Rural America
Offers resources to help rural healthcare providers screen farmers, farmworkers, and farm families for alcohol use disorder and depression. Discusses farm stress and covers 3 categories of barriers to rural substance use and mental health services: accessibility, availability, and acceptability. Includes a hypothetical case scenario to illustrate the obstacles and challenges rural farm families experience when attempting to receive care for co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders.
Author(s): Maridee Shogren, Robin Landwehr, David Terry, Abby Roach-Moore, Andrew McLean
Date: 04/2020
Sponsoring organizations: Addiction Technology Transfer Center Network, Mental Health Technology Transfer Center Network, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Offers resources to help rural healthcare providers screen farmers, farmworkers, and farm families for alcohol use disorder and depression. Discusses farm stress and covers 3 categories of barriers to rural substance use and mental health services: accessibility, availability, and acceptability. Includes a hypothetical case scenario to illustrate the obstacles and challenges rural farm families experience when attempting to receive care for co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders.
Author(s): Maridee Shogren, Robin Landwehr, David Terry, Abby Roach-Moore, Andrew McLean
Date: 04/2020
Sponsoring organizations: Addiction Technology Transfer Center Network, Mental Health Technology Transfer Center Network, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Growing Stress on the Farm: The Expanding Economic and Mental Health Disparities in Rural Missouri
Identifies disparities in mental health outcomes and economic factors for farmers and other rural Missourians. Presents opportunities to promote access to mental health services, improve outcomes, and reduce stigma. Includes statistics on suicides in Missouri with breakdowns by metropolitan and rural areas, age, and sex, and hospital emergency visits by rural Missourians for psychiatric disorders, substance use disorder, and suicidality.
Author(s): M. Reidhead, J. Medows, K. Dothage, et al.
Date: 02/2020
Sponsoring organizations: Missouri Coalition for Community Behavioral Healthcare, Missouri Department of Mental Health, Missouri Farm Bureau, Missouri Hospital Association, University of Missouri Extension
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Identifies disparities in mental health outcomes and economic factors for farmers and other rural Missourians. Presents opportunities to promote access to mental health services, improve outcomes, and reduce stigma. Includes statistics on suicides in Missouri with breakdowns by metropolitan and rural areas, age, and sex, and hospital emergency visits by rural Missourians for psychiatric disorders, substance use disorder, and suicidality.
Author(s): M. Reidhead, J. Medows, K. Dothage, et al.
Date: 02/2020
Sponsoring organizations: Missouri Coalition for Community Behavioral Healthcare, Missouri Department of Mental Health, Missouri Farm Bureau, Missouri Hospital Association, University of Missouri Extension
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Farmer Stress in Georgia: Results of a Survey
Results of a survey measuring type and intensity of stressors affecting Georgia farmers, based on information gathered from 118 attendees at the 2019 Georgia Farm Bureau Convention. Features statistics with breakdowns by demographics, specific types of farming employment, and top stressors.
Author(s): Anna Scheyett
Date: 01/2020
Sponsoring organization: University of Georgia School of Social Work
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Results of a survey measuring type and intensity of stressors affecting Georgia farmers, based on information gathered from 118 attendees at the 2019 Georgia Farm Bureau Convention. Features statistics with breakdowns by demographics, specific types of farming employment, and top stressors.
Author(s): Anna Scheyett
Date: 01/2020
Sponsoring organization: University of Georgia School of Social Work
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Last Updated: 10/7/2025