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Ohio Agriculture Department Launches Mental Health Program For Farmers

[Ohio Department of Agriculture]
Photo by the Ohio Department of Agriculture

The Ohio Department of Agriculture launched the "Got Your Back" program Tuesday for farmers to share resources for mental health and substance abuse issues.

Numerous studies show suicide rates among farmers have increased, and may even have risen to be double the national average, according to the Ohio Farm Bureau.

The program aims to raise awareness and recognition of the problems farmers face, Ohio Farm Bureau President Frank Burkett said.

"As we look at where commodity prices are today, with low commodity prices, we look at the weather challenges farmers have faced this year and we look at the long-term decline in net income over the last five years on the farm, we recognize there are serious stresses," Burkett said.

A May survey showed a strong majority of farmers cited those issues as factors in their mental health.

Burkett says the independent and solitary nature of farm work plays a role.

"It's a great time to think but it also can be time where you dwell on things that aren't performing the way you want them to perform," Burkett said. "Maybe expectations that you place on yourself beyond what others expect of you, but I think it can cause for some additional stress."

Nathan Brown, also with the Ohio Farm Bureau, shared some warning signs at a Tuesday press conference.

"If you see them become disconnected, if they're losing their drive, if they're using alcohol more or just not showing up on time, take a moment to check on your friends," Brown said. 

Both Burkett and Brown agree that farmers asking for help is key to combatting suicide rates.

"It is completely on them if their crops fail or if their farm goes bankrupt, and they will rarely talk with others about what might be going wrong," Brown said.

"There's other people that are having the same experiences you are," Burkett said. "There's other people that have that same multi-generation farm that they're trying to figure out how they're going to keep it for the next generation.

"Asking for help is not a sign of weakness, it's really a sign of strength and I tell you, when you reach out and gather and join a community around you, it's really powerful," Burkett said.

The Ohio Department of Agriculture is partnering with the farm bureau, Ohio Mental Health and Addiction Services and Recovery Ohio on the program. 

Glenn Forbes is supervising producer of newscasts at Ideastream Public Media.