It is usually just one more straw that breaks a farmer’s spirit, say mental health professionals.
“Farmers do handle high levels of chronic stress but have problems when complicated by a new acute stress,” said Gene Graham, of the New York Centre for Agricultural Medicine and Health.
He told a health and safety conference in Saskatoon last week that most farm stress is due to uncontrollable factors such as weather, price changes, long hours, repetitive work and social isolation. When a sudden farm policy change or a natural disaster hits farmers, they can become more susceptible to mental or physical illness and accidents.
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Graham described three projects that trained people who regularly visit farms, such as feed sales representatives or milk truckers, who then referred families in crisis to professionals.
He said the projects aim to bridge the gap between farm families reluctant and ashamed to visit mental health counsellors and mental health staff who lack access to rural communities.
One difference between the projects located in New York and Iowa is the influence of church. Religion is a stronger factor in the midwestern state. Not only did clergy help identify troubled people, they also became part of the solution with the formation of prayer communities that allowed people to help each other.
David Hargrove, a University of Mississippi psychology professor said his studies of farmers show mental health professionals need to respect rural concerns. That includes confidentiality, the importance of the farm family and helping people find their own solutions.
“Successful coping is based on hope – to take as much of our lives under our control,” said Hargrove.
“People have to have hope in the future … some are religious, others believe in human ingenuity.”
