By Shay Frank
There's a lot of stress on Ohio farmers these days.
That’s according to the recently released results of a survey from The Ohio Agricultural Mental Health Alliance.
Farmers in Ohio reported the top five stressors on the farm include land, input and fuel costs as well as concerns over the future of farming and market prices.
About 600 farmers from different specialties participated in the survey,
said Dr. Dee Jepsen, a professor in agriculture, safety and health at Ohio State University.
"There's quite the array. There wasn't a commodity that was not represented here," she said."So 44% of them felt that sometime in the last year there was a time that they might need some help with just coping with their daily stress."
The survey was completed before historic drought conditions hit Ohio. Jepsen said she thinks the survey still shows how weather is a big factor in farming and farm stress.
"I think part of the weather is that they can't control for it, but what they can control is their management," she said. "And so when we see that number two on our list of stressors includes the cost of feed, seed, fertilizer and pesticides, a lot of farmers will choose their hybrids based on the weather conditions."
Ty Higgins, spokesperson for the Ohio Farm Bureau, said he was surprised how open participants were with their own mental health and the health of those around them.
"That's a promising start to this conversation, that people are willing to think about how their mind is treating them and then looking for signs in others," he said.
The survey also found barriers when it comes to reaching out for assistance including time and the perceived cost or benefit of accessing help.
In response to the survey, mental health providers are working to learn more about the unique experiences of people working in Ohio agriculture. .
Jepsen helped kick off a Farm Stress Certification Program, designed to give mental health professionals the understanding and resources needed to assist the agricultural community. More than 1,000 professionals have registered for the program.
“That's also establishing a directory for our use. We can provide that directory as well for folks that want to include that," she said. "So we're trying to look at the problem of farm stress, mental well-being from all facets.”
The program is vital to addressing the issues that farmers face in the state and giving them proper care, Higgins said.
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