Mental Health
Agriculture is a stressful occupation, and farmers struggle with anxiety and depression at higher levels than the general population.
Mental health support services are hard to find in rural areas. Did you know 90 million people live in designated Mental Health Professional Shortage Areas? To further complicate matters, stress among farmers is growing.
How often do you spend time thinking about the past? This question struck a nerve with me recently.
Merck Animal Health shares insights from the 2023 Veterinary Wellbeing Survey for Enhancing Wellbeing in Large Animal Veterinarians.
The Senate unanimously approved U.S. Senators Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) and Michael Bennet’s (D-Colo.), bipartisan resolution designating May 29 as “Mental Health Awareness in Agriculture Day.”
Trying to do all the things all the time is exhausting, Kacee Bohle said during Elevate Women in Ag. That’s why she’s trying to help people overcome burnout, find balance and cultivate a more purpose-driven life.
When you run into people every day, do you really “see” them? Lately I’ve been thinking about the people in my life who truly “see” me – who aren’t too busy or preoccupied to notice how I am really doing.
Although the swine industry is small enough veterinarians will likely run into each other often at meetings, Jana Morgan believes there’s something special about the impact of intentional interaction. Here’s why.
The impact of depopulation incidents on employee mental health can’t be discussed enough, says veterinarian Randy Jones.
You need to do what you need to do to make your life better. Is it really that simple?
Promoting mental health involves fostering supportive environments, reducing stigma, providing access to care and resources and encouraging self-care. Here’s how The Maschhoffs is helping their employees manage stress.
It’s important the friends, family, and business professionals close to farmers are prepared and able to effectively communicate in a mental health crisis.
From improved telehealth services to reimagined small-town hospitals, the National Rural Health Association is working to help folks in farm country tap into more and better medical care options.
More than 1 in 5 U.S. adults live with a mental illness. U.S. Representative Jim Costa (D-CA) says Congress cannot ignore the mental health crisis in America anymore.
September is National Suicide Prevention Month. According to the CDC, between 2000 and 2020 suicide rates climbed 46% in rural areas. By comparison, the rate in metro areas climbed 27.3%.
It was way too late on a Sunday night to be doing laundry at a coin laundromat in an unfamiliar part of town. But we had no choice. There are some things in life you just have to do even when you don’t want to.
It’s no wonder farmers experience higher levels of anxiety and depression because of the many factors they deal with that are out of their control. But how does that affect their family? A new study sheds light.
A new collaboration involving the Minnesota Pork Board and the Minnesota Pork Producers Association will improve access to mental health care in rural and outstate Minnesota.
The other night PORK editor Jennifer Shike and her daughter had a conversation she hopes they never forget. Here’s why it’s one we can all relate to.
Farming is getting far more complex, says Ted Matthews, director of Rural Minnesota Mental Health Support. Because of that, it’s more important than ever to take care of yourself.
Jacob Peak oversees 13 production partner sites for The Maschhoffs, all of which are close in proximity. In October, disease pressure surged through the area creating an overwhelming complex and complicated situation.
With the current economic situation, both in agriculture and even personally, it is easy to feel stress and overwhelmed. Here are some suggestions on how to manage stress and work through a difficult time.
It doesn’t matter if it’s spring, summer, winter or fall, weather is always on producers’ minds. While slower seasons can offer relief, winter can drain emotional batteries. Here are two steps to help find relief.
Humans tend to pick up things they think they need to carry – it can be anything from a side comment from a colleague or an awful interaction with a family member to an unavoidable decision on the farm.
My 28-year-old nephew, Brooks, was a multi-generational farmer and father of 4-year-old twins. His death by suicide is a tragic and poignant indicator of a problem that is drastically increasing, a reader shared.
When a mental health crisis hits, Shannon Ferrell, Oklahoma State University ag law specialist, outlines seven resources to keep handy in the event you are the first responder to help someone in need someday.
After 30 years working in the field of rural mental health, Ted Matthews understands the factors that stress farmers and knows how to help them.
A little bit better is a little bit better, said Ted Matthews, director of Minnesota Rural Mental Health. Matthews dispels myths about mental health, counseling and anxiety on the farm.
Maddison Caldwell woke up on Dec. 19, 2019, with a plan for the ultimate act of finality. Death by her own hand. Here’s the miraculous story of her journey from death to hope.
“Suck it up buttercup.” This familiar phrase is one many farmers and ranchers learn early in life: be tough, self-reliant and resilient. But experts say that approach doesn’t work when dealing with stress.