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 “I’ve heard stories of farmers who would drive three hours to a
mental health seminar; not because there wasn’t one closer,”
says Courtney Cuthbertson, assistant professor and University of
Illinois Extension specialist in the Department of Human
Development and Family Studies. They didn't want their neighbors
to know.
“Research has shown that stigma around mental health is
different in rural communities,” says Cuthbertson, but a new
course hopes to improve the resources available to America's
farm families.
Starting June 15, a newly released free online course, Rural
Resilience: Farm Stress Training is now available at
go.illinois.edu/ruralresilience. The self-paced course can be
completed in under three hours. Users will go through a
“check-out” type process and create a log in to access the
materials, however there is no cost for this training.
“The goal is for participants to identify signs and symptoms of
stress and suicide, reduce the stigma of needing help, and
connect farmers and ranchers with resources that might be able
to help,” says Cuthbertson, whose research focuses on mental
health and substance use. “There’s a lack of mental health care
in rural communities, and this is a way to train people to be a
resource and help someone recognize and navigate stressful
times.”
On a farm, most pressures are constant and uncontrollable.
Machinery breaks; weather delays work; commodity prices
fluctuate. The work is isolating and stressful, which puts
farmers at risk for chronic stress and can lead to depression,
anxiety, and even suicidal thoughts or action.
Prolonged stress also diminishes problem-solving
abilities which, on a farm, can lead to injury. Accident and
injury rates are higher for farmers than other occupations.
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Access to mental health care providers in rural areas
is often limited.
“Even if someone wants to get help, it might be difficult to find
someone in person,” Cuthbertson says. “Producers may feel more
comfortable seeking out help when they know the healthcare provider
they are seeing knows about and understands agricultural issues.”
The three-unit course covers managing stress, communicating with
farmers, and suicide awareness. The goal is to help rural
communities, including farmers, family members, and anyone in the
agricultural industry feel confident enough to talk about and manage
stress.
The course is available through a partnership between University of
Illinois Extension and Michigan State University Extension, with
support from Farm Credit, American Farm Bureau Federation, and the
National Farmers Union. Cuthbertson developed the course
collaboratively with MSU Extension.
[SOURCE: Courtney Cuthbertson, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist, Department of Human
Development & Family Studies
WRITER: Emily Steele, Media Communication Coordinator, University of
Illinois Extension]
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