Agriculture tends to be a stressful occupation, with mental health impacts that tend to be higher than those of the average population. The number of farmers and ranchers affected by depression, anxiety and stress is often underreported, partly because of the stigma attached to this issue. Stressors in a recent survey included crop and livestock disease, weather (things they have no control over), and the biggest one was shifting economics and significant financial burden. 

Historically, having the family maintain the farm was a huge asset. Today many children who grow up on a farm look for other careers so the farmer needs additional resources. Hiring help is another stress--financially and mentally. In rural communities there is also a lack of mental health services and the reluctance of people to seek help outside the family; they often don’t like to talk about depression. This has been viewed as a sign of weakness.

Maggie Hannah and her sister were raised on a family ranch in Colorado. Hannah is fourth-generation owner of this cow/calf ranch, which she runs with her mother. When Hannah’s father took his life in 1998, she and her sister were very young. The ranching community stepped up and supported their family in many ways. 

“They scooped us up and took care of us after my dad died,” Hannah says.

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Now she tries to pay it back, and is involved with rural mental health efforts in her community and the ranching industry--working to bring more mental health resources to rural Colorado. In a rural lifestyle, traditional values of self-reliance and perseverance often collide with a depressing economic reality.

Falling income

During the past decade, farm income fell to the lowest since 2001. When income drops, suicide rates go up. With increasing challenges agriculture faces today, some farmers and ranchers realize it’s time to learn to talk about the problem of suicide.

People used to be reluctant to talk about cancer. It’s important to also confront the issue of suicide--talking to the people we love, and the people we work with. Hannah feels part of the process is destigmatizing the conversation. The same people who selflessly gave their time and knowledge after her father died might not be able to ask for the same kind of support for themselves. Rural folks are very good at giving help but not always good at asking for help.

In 2018 in Colorado, the rate of suicide per 100,000 people was 22.1 in urban areas and 27.7 in rural areas, according to data collected by the Colorado Health Institute.

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Suicide is most common among people between the ages of 45 and 64, and men are three times more likely than women to take their own lives.

One of the problems in rural areas is the drastic drop in net farm income, dragged down 50% since 2013, partly due to low commodity prices. The price received for crops or livestock isn’t the only thing a farmer or rancher can’t control. Land prices keep going up, which makes it harder to own property, and weather cycles can lead to longer periods of drought or worse floods. A crop can be ruined by rain that continues too long into the summer or unseasonable hail.

All the unknowns pile up as an obstacle to the huge expectation farmers and ranchers are expected to meet. They are responsible for feeding the world, but their financial well-being often depends on factors they can’t control. This is financially overwhelming when they’ve taken out a loan to try to bridge the gap in tough times--and when the tough times don’t go away, there’s nothing they can do about it. Every year is a gamble. Add this to the sense of responsibility and the importance of stewardship of the land and a ranch legacy, and something along the way might be a straw that breaks the camel’s back.

For people who work in cities, crisis lines might advise the distressed person to take some time off, or step back from work for a bit and have dinner with family. It’s not that easy, for people in agriculture. In calving season, cows give birth day or night. If an irrigation system or haying equipment breaks down, you can’t ignore it or postpone fixing it. When the daily struggle becomes more than someone feels they can handle, getting them help fast is important, but in rural areas, those resources are often far away.

Ag-tailored solutions

The first step is making sure people know about available resources. Hannah has worked with the Colorado Department of Agriculture to help tailor mental health resources for agricultural producers. Farm and ranch knowledge helps in this effort.  Bringing a background in agriculture to the problem of mental health, the advisory group she works with in partnership with Colorado Crisis Services can help figure out where a struggling farmer or rancher might go.

They posted hotline numbers at sale barns where a person might be selling their herd, and left business cards (with hotline numbers) on bank counters. These can be utilized by folks who might not want to talk about their need for help, but might be talking to their banker about what they’re going through. When they have a few minutes to themselves, they can pick up the phone and call or text to say, “I’m struggling but I don’t want my family to know, and I don’t know what to do.’”

Hannah has also helped train hotline operators on how to talk to people. It’s important that the person picking up that call knows how to talk about the difficulties of life in agriculture. The state agriculture department worked with Hannah and her mom, and other producers, to create training videos for crisis-call takers, helping them learn how to communicate with farmers and ranchers.

People in rural communities may have limited access to mental health care, and often the first step is to utilize a telephone crisis intervention program. Cynthia Beck, a farmer with a degree in clinical psychology, works in rural Saskatchewan providing rural suicide intervention.

“Many people who call me are not yet at a point of an active plan for suicide, but some are,” Beck said. “Typically, people reach a point where they know they need to make a change.”

She tries to help people identify reasons to have a life plan instead of seeing only a death plan. 

“I help people identify their options—and that it’s their choice on which plan they go with. When you help people recognize that they have choices, this opens more possibilities; you give them back some control. Generally, people in that place of raw desperation feel they have lost control and hope,” says Beck.

“I try to get them into services that can help. Depending on how severe their suicide risk is, it might mean going into a hospital that night, intervening with medical services, or getting them worked into the health care system,” she says.

“My husband and I farm, so I’m familiar with the challenges producers face. I went through my own difficulties with mental health. Today, when people phone and say they have to do something because the pain has to end and they don’t know what their options are other than killing themselves, I can relate. I’ve been there,” she says.

Unique barriers

“In recent years there’s been improvement in awareness regarding what the farming population is experiencing. Many agricultural producers face unique barriers to accessing mental health care that people in mainstream health care may not be aware of. People with a 9-to-5 job can usually just say they have a doctor appointment and need to take a couple hours off, and still might get paid, or can take a sick day or holiday time. They are still earning an income. But in agriculture, everything depends on you doing the job at hand to earn an income,” she says.

“Taking a day off to drive 2 hours to see a mental health practitioner may not be feasible during busy seasons. Many people think if mental health services are available, they are accessible, but this would be like saying to a person in a wheelchair that there’s a bathroom on the third floor but no elevator to the third floor. The bathroom is available, but not accessible,” says Beck.

“Social media provides opportunity to connect with others, helping decrease some of the isolation we face in agriculture. Many areas now have crisis services or mental health supports, or you can talk to your doctor for more information. The internet has information and strategies for mental health. There are also online therapy programs available. Taking that first step to help ourselves is something we can do,” says Beck.

“When people are struggling, it’s difficult to have the energy to look for services, but many people have access to the internet. They can search for mental health services in their area, or crisis services/crisis lines.”

She feels that people today are more willing to talk about mental health, and some are even posting things on social media.

“This is where I am seeing some differences--people realizing how important it is to talk about mental health challenges and the reality of mental health with the farming population. People share information about themselves and their experiences in case it might help someone else.”