How UGA Reaches Beyond Campus to Support Farmers’ Mental Health

Farming comes with pressures that many workers cannot control. Bad weather can destroy a crop. Production costs can rise while commodity prices remain low. For farmers whose land has been in the family for generations, financial trouble can also put a family legacy at risk.

These pressures can affect farmers’ mental health. University of Georgia Cooperative Extension is working to address the issue through education, prevention and relationships with farmers across the state.

Anna Scheyett, an adjunct professor and former UGA Extension behavioral health specialist, has researched farmer stress and suicide.

“I think almost everything has an underpinning of huge amounts of stress to it,” Scheyett said. “Farming is probably the most stressful occupation I’ve ever seen.”

Farmers have little control over many factors that determine whether they succeed. Scheyett said weather, government regulations and commodity prices can all affect a farm’s financial stability.

The stress can affect the entire family.

Diane Bales, a UGA professor and Extension human development specialist, said farming differs from many other occupations because farmers often live where they work. The work also does not follow a typical schedule.

“One storm, one drought, one invasion of a pest can destroy your entire crop for the entire year that you were counting on for financial support,” Bales said.

Many farms have also been passed down through several generations. This can create another source of pressure when the farm is struggling.

Camp Hand, a UGA Extension cotton agronomist, works directly with Georgia farmers. He said some farmers worry they could lose land that has been in their families for more than 100 years.

Hand said farmers do not always directly tell him when they are struggling. Instead, a conversation might start with a question about farming and continue for much longer.

Sometimes I feel like all I do is answer the phone and just listen sometimes, and that’s great,” Hand said. “If that’s how they need to kind of relieve a little bit of stress, then I’ll talk with you.”

Those conversations show why Extension can play a role in farmer mental health. County Extension agents already work with farmers on problems involving crops, livestock and other agricultural issues. Those interactions can help build trust.

Research on Georgia Cooperative Extension programs has found that participants benefit from the information they receive. A 2020 study published in the Journal of Extension found that “regardless of programmatic area, respondents reported a statistically significant change in knowledge from before to after the Extension program.” 

The research also found limitations in measuring Extension’s impact. The study measured “behavioral intent and not actual behavior change,” and researchers noted that an intention to change does not necessarily lead to long-term changes in behavior. 

Bales said farmers often turn to a small group of people when they are struggling. That group can include spouses, other farmers, pastors and Extension agents.

UGA Extension has offered training to help people recognize warning signs and respond. These programs include Question Persuade Refer and Mental Health First Aid.

Bales said the goal is not to turn Extension personnel into therapists. Instead, the training can help them recognize a problem, listen and connect someone with professional support.

Since I’m the person that they know and trust, how can I support them as well?” Bales said.

Getting professional help can still be difficult. Rural communities may have fewer mental health providers. Poor internet access can also make telehealth difficult. Farmers may struggle to find professionals who understand agriculture.

Scheyett said the culture of farming can create another barrier. Farmers often value independence and may feel they should solve problems themselves.

Extension specialists can sometimes help by simply being present.

Hand saw that after Hurricane Helene damaged farms in Georgia. He visited farmers who had experienced major losses. In some cases, he did not know what he could say to help.

“You can’t say anything because it’s like, what are you gonna say they just lost everything, but other than just being there, and I think they really appreciated that,” Hand said.

Scheyett said Extension focuses on preventing problems and providing information rather than offering mental health treatment.

For Bales, one of the most important messages is that farmers do not have to face those pressures by themselves.

“I want them to know they’re not alone,” Bales said. “That other people feel this way.”