By Blake Jackson
Traditional mental health programs for farmers, focused on overcoming stigma, may be missing the mark, according to a new study led by rural sociologists at Penn State. The research found that the real barriers farmers face include rural healthcare shortages, long appointment wait times, travel distances, and high costs.
The study, part of a five-year project, suggests that programs offering additional resources to address financial challenges such as assistance navigating complex paperwork could be more effective.
Farmers experience mental health issues up to five times the national rate, often linked to financial stress, unpredictable weather and markets, labor shortages, and farm succession concerns.
Isolation in rural areas can further exacerbate these challenges. Despite available programs like counseling, suicide hotlines, and educational workshops, many farmers do not access support.
“This study is the first to look simultaneously at farmers’ willingness to seek help as well as their ability to actually get it,” said Florence Becot, Nationwide Insurance Early Career Professor and Agricultural Safety and Health Program leader in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences.
“Overall, the investments in programs have been made with limited understanding of farmers’ ability and willingness to engage with mental health support.”
The research team interviewed 64 “key informants” including extension agents, farm organization staff, and health providers who work closely with farmers. “Many of the key informants in our study play a key role in developing and/or offering programs and resources,” said Sarah Ruszkowski, research technologist in Penn State’s Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering.
“As such, they have an acute understanding of how farmers engage, or not, with programs as well as the reasons for engagement.”
The study concluded that barriers like cost, lack of internet, time constraints, and geographic isolation limit farmers’ ability to access help. Ruszkowski emphasized, “Instead of asking, ‘how do we convince farmers to seek help,’ the focus should be on how we can remove barriers that prevent farmers from accessing help when they want it.”
Photo Credit: gettyimages-hirurg
Categories: Pennsylvania, Rural Lifestyle, Farm Safety