Addressing Stressors, Preventing Farmer Suicide: Social Connectedness and Health

At a Glance

Farmers are an occupational group with one of the highest rates of death by suicide- as much as two and half times the rate of the general population. To impact the number of farmers experiencing mental health distress and prevent farmer suicides, this project, Farm Well Wisconsin, aims to develop a comprehensive range of upstream interventions to create an ecosystem of support to foster farmer resilience.

In its two first years, Farm Well has trained more than 700 rural community members and agribusiness professionals in peer support and suicide prevention, expanded their social media reach 10-fold and conducted training for more than 75 health providers, residents and medical students. Farm Well staff members have also been asked to join statewide coalitions and steering committees related to farmer mental health and rural suicide prevention.

The Challenge

Farmers are an occupational group with one of the highest rates of death by suicide- as much as two and half times the rate of the general population. Farmers in the United States deal with economic volatility and psychological pressures in response to trade policies, catastrophic weather events and other environmental risks. Farming is also a high risk occupation for injury or illness, whether from operating farm machinery or illnesses arising from pesticide exposure or air contaminants in grain silos. These health challenges are exasperated by rural health disparities that limit access to quality care including provider shortages, geographic distance to health centers and inadequate health insurance. In addition to facing health, economic, and environmental challenges, the socially isolating nature of farming has contributed to farmer suicide as farm culture praises being self-reliant and promotes a “farm first attitude.” Community- and self-stigma impedes the acceptance and utilization of health care services; especially behavioral health services.

Project Goals

To impact the number of farmers experiencing mental health distress and prevent farmer suicides, this project, Farm Well Wisconsin, aims to develop a comprehensive range of upstream interventions to create an ecosystem of support characterized by engaged, equipped and connected community-based intermediaries working together to foster farmer resilience. The core of this work centers around three specific goals:

1. Empower locally identified leaders to serve as members of Farmer Wellness Advisory Coalitions (FWAC), to act as peer support specialists and promote widespread community education on suicide prevention and effective intervention.
2. Increase health literacy and social cohesion through collaborations with community partners to deliver education on finances, stress and mental health via in-person meetings, a farmer wellness website and radio broadcasts that aim to shift narratives that impede reaching out for behavioral health care.
3. Improve health equity outcomes for farmers by developing a range of educational materials designed to increase medical students’ and medical providers’ understanding of farming culture as it impacts health and specific physical dangers, stressors and mental health challenges that emerge from agriculture work.

Progress Update

In its first two years, Farm Well has achieved broad reach and impact in promoting mental health awareness within agricultural settings. By collaborating with statewide coalitions and partners, 731 rural community members and agribusiness professionals have been trained to be empathetic listeners, recognize signs of suicide and connect individuals with appropriate help. Their community conversation series, The Water We Swim In (WWSI), along with an eight-week storytelling workshop known as the WWSI Lab has helped over 150 attendees learn to counter stigma by recognizing the impact cultural messages have on physical, mental and behavioral health and well-being.

Farm Well’s social media reach grew 10-fold between the project’s first and second year with 3,200 website visits and 120,000 Facebook post views. Through ongoing analysis of social media impact, this increase was attributed to a more consistent posting cadence for upcoming events and training opportunities. Farm Well has also published 14 newsletter articles on farmer mental health, self-care, farm stories and agricultural news.

Farm Well has built capacity for rural health providers and expanded their reach through partnerships. They have trained more than 75 health providers, residents and medical students from the National Farm Medicine Center in Marshfield and the Wisconsin Academy of Rural Medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, covering topics in mental health, farm stress and injury prevention. Farm Well staff have also been asked to join statewide coalitions and steering committees related to farmer mental health and rural suicide prevention with the UW-Division of Extension, Department of Agriculture Trade and Consumer Protection Farm Center and Mental Health America.