Ohio Farmers Are Stressed. What’s Stopping So Many From Seeking Help?

By Erin Gottsacker

Between the high costs of running a farm, unpredictable weather and fluctuating markets, farming can be a stressful profession — so much so that the suicide rate among farmers is an estimated three times higher than the general population.

“I grew up in the ‘80s on a dairy farm, and I can't think of anything more stressful than a dairy farm in the ‘80s. We were getting really low prices for our milk,” said Ty Higgins, a spokesperson for the Ohio Farm Bureau.

“We lost the farm and many farmers that worked in our community decided that they couldn't see life after agriculture and they took their lives. And we just mentioned it around the kitchen table and moved on. That's not how we're talking about it now.”

In order to better help Ohio’s farmers and address stressors in the field, the Ohio Agricultural Mental Health Alliance launched a farm stress survey last year. More than 600 people responded across 80 of the state’s 88 counties.

Here’s what they said.

What’s stressing Ohio’s farmers?

More than 40% of survey respondents said they sought out, or could have used, professional mental health or counseling services.

“I would say, because of the drought, we're seeing farm stress now at one of the highest levels that we probably have in our history,” Higgins said.

According to the survey — which was administered before the drought — Ohio farmers listed the following as their top stressors:

1. The cost of land
2. The cost of farm inputs, like feed, seed, fertilizers and pesticides
3. Concerns for the future of farming due to factors like urban sprawl and industrialization
4. The cost of fuel, maintenance, supply chain parts and the labor force
5. Market prices for the products they’re selling

“We've seen a 23% decline in net farm income in the last two years. I don't know who that wouldn't stress out if our salaries were cut by a quarter and we had higher bills than we did just five years ago,” Higgins said. “That's stressful.”

What’s preventing farmers from seeking help?

Higgins said farmers are more likely to talk about mental health today than they were just a generation ago. But many are still hesitant to seek help.

The survey asked farmers why.

Dee Jepsen, a professor in agriculture safety and health at Ohio State University, said the top reason they gave was time.

“They just flat out said, ‘I don't have time to stop what I'm doing on the job to go take care of myself or to seek resources,’” she said.

Farmers also worried about the cost of care and whether it would be covered by their insurance, and some wondered if counseling would be worthwhile.

“About one in four farmers felt that these programs wouldn't be a benefit for them,” Jepsen said. “So that's a pretty big number.”

These farmers worried a counselor or therapist wouldn’t understand their culture, Jepsen explained, or would recommend solutions like taking a vacation, which are impractical in their line of work.

Possible solutions

The Ohio Agricultural Mental Health Alliance formed to merge the resources of Ohio’s agricultural community with local mental health services.

“Working together, we can bridge the gap of what resources are needed,” Jepsen said.

Now, armed with the knowledge this survey provided, she believes the coalition can do a better job of meeting Ohio farmers’ needs.