Pittsburgh Launches Study on Farm Stress and Disease Impact

By Blake Jackson

The University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health is launching a new research initiative focused on the mental health challenges facing poultry and swine farmers across Pennsylvania.

The study will explore rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation among farmers, particularly in the wake of infectious disease outbreaks and the disruptions they cause.

Backed by nearly $70,000 in funding from the Poultry and Livestock Center of Excellence, the project began earlier this year.

The research team is led by Linda Rose Frank, PhD, MSN, a professor in the Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology (IDM) and a psychiatric nurse clinical specialist with more than 25 years of experience.

Frank is joined by Suresh Kuchipudi, PhD, MVSc, MBA, chair of IDM, and Jim Holt, VMD, a visiting associate professor and large-animal veterinarian. Kuchipudi and Holt are recognized for their leadership in One Health, an approach that connects human, animal, and environmental health.

The team will assess how financial uncertainty, livestock disease outbreaks, regulatory demands, chronic stress, and rural isolation affect farmers’ well-being.

“Farm work is physically demanding, financially precarious and deeply tied to family identity,” Frank said. “We are seeing concerning trends in depression and suicide among farm workers, but no one has taken a systematic look at why. We want to hear directly from farmers about their lived experiences and what resources they feel would truly help.”

“When a disease like highly pathogenic avian influenza strikes, it is not just an animal-health event; it is a human crisis,” Kuchipudi said.

“Farmers face the emotional burden of depopulating flocks or herds, the loss of income and the fear that another outbreak could be around the corner. Understanding these stressors from a One Health perspective is essential if we want to design meaningful and practical support.”

The project was shaped by concerns raised during the inaugural meeting of the Pennsylvania One Health Consortium. Researchers plan to interview about 50 farmers in high-need counties and will share findings at the consortium’s 2026 annual meeting.

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