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PAGE 16 FARMERS AND CONSUMERS MARKET BULLETIN – 404-656-3722 – agr.georgia.gov WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2020
rural GeorGia: Growing Strong

Mental health initiative addresses the emotional well-being of farmers

By Jay Jones pointed out that an inability to work due to a
jay.jones@agr.georgia.gov health condition means a loss of identity for
many farmers and that can put them at risk.
A tractor, an irrigation system or a new Sheyett also said farmers could create
bull for breeding are all components for a suc- stress on themselves by being too self-reliant.
cessful farm. However, the one thing farmers “I think culturally farmers and farm fam-
may overlook is their own well-being. A new ilies are incredibly independent and resilient,
initiative by the University of Georgia Exten- and they’re amazing. I admire them hugely,”
sion Service looks to address the mental and she said.
physical health of farmers and agriculture “But that level of independence – ‘I’m go-
workers. ing to solve this by myself when things get
Recent health data is showing that depres- really bad and stressful’ – can put people at
sion stemming from stress or physical injury risk because they’re just going to keep work-
can weigh on farmers to the point where they ing harder. And sometimes, that’s not the best
become at risk of suicide. The Rural Georgia: thing to do. Sometimes, you have to take care
Growing Strong initiative began in January to of yourself.”
provide resources to people who need help. Scarrow explained that helping farmers
Andrea Scarrow, Southwest district exten- deal with stress is nothing new to the exten-
sion director, said a pilot program began with sion service. Agents often are the ones farm-
ag production meetings in January and Feb- Mental health experts from throughout Georgia and the nation met in Atlanta in December 2018 to ers go to to talk about the problems they are
strategize on the topic of rural stress. Sam Pardue, dean of the College of Agricultural and Environmental
ruary in her area where agents and farmers Sciences at the University of Georgia, requested the summit after reading a CDC study that showed that facing. However, agents may not have infor-
gathered to discuss crops and livestock. The the suicide rate among farmers is 1.5 times higher than the national average. (UGA CAES File Photo) mation at hand to help. Scarrow added that
pilot program started in Colquitt, Mitchell, the initiative is being done as much for exten-
Lowndes and Echols counties. proach. However, even with all the resources to find out more about the causes of suicide. sion agents as it is for farmers.
“The message to our farmers and their and data available, discussion about mental The extension service used her research to de- “In the past, they’ve had that experience in
families is they are their own greatest re- health and suicide is difficult to broach. As velop this initiative. She reviewed 106 suicide hard economic times where a farmer would
source on the farm,” Scarrow said. “So just as an ice-breaker, Scarrow said farmers and ag cases between 2008 and 2015. share their woes and their stress with them,”
they would take care of their machinery and producers were offered free blood pressure Scheyett explained stress could come from she said. “Our natural response is to be em-
really take care of those resources, we want checks during the production meetings. different places, and there is no easy answer pathetic and to say, ‘Yeah, it’s just tough,’ and
to support them in taking care of themselves “The response has been really good. We’ve as to why the suicide rate is higher among maybe that’s not the right response. We have
as well.” not faced any pushback whatsoever,” she said. farmers. got to stay on the positive side of things, so
The Extension Service created information “It’s been well received, and so I think from Loss of a key relationship is one factor in we’re learning how to be the encourager when
packets to hand to farmers that provide contact this we feel comfortable building on it going Scheyett’s research. She said the smaller pop- we’re in that position of listening.”
information to resources, such as the Georgia forward.” ulations of rural areas mean that a person’s The extension service has several partners
Crisis and Access Line (1.800.715.4225). The Extension’s concern for the well-being of spouse or partner plays a significant support involved with the initiative including local
packets also included academic and profes- Georgia farmers came from a 2018 study by role. In many cases, the loss of a spouse was a medical providers, the UGA School of Social
sional materials to help farmers understand the Centers for Disease Control and Preven- significant factor in suicide cases. Work and College of Public Health, along
and deal with stress. Topics covered include tion that showed farming had the third-high- “There were situations that the suicide with the Georgia Department of Behavioral
stress and mental health, nutrition and phys- est suicide rate of any occupation. Additional happened after the spouse had been put in a Health and Developmental Disabilities and
ical health, finance management and youth research showed that in Georgia, the rate for nursing home, or the spouse had left or the the State Office of Rural Health, a division
development. All the resources provided are farmers was about 51 per 100,000, compared spouse had died, so the relationship pieces are of the Georgia Department of Community
also available online at www.extension.uga. with 14.9 per 100,000 for the overall popula- really poignant,” she said. Health.
edu/rural. tion of workers. Physical health also affects mental health.
Scarrow said the extension agents brought Anna Scheyett, dean of the University of Sheyett noted that an injury that keeps a farm- For more information,
up rural stress to the farmers in a general ap- Georgia’s School of Social Work, did research er out of the field could be very stressful. She go to www.extension.uga.edu/rural.