Stress management is an important skill for workers in high stress fields like farming and ranching. The following resources offer strategies for recognizing and managing stress, including suicide prevention hotlines, and tools to identify risk.
Avera Farm and Rural Stress Hotline
Avera Health System, located in South Dakota, offers the Farm and Rural Stress Hotline where farmers can talk to one of Avera’s skilled, compassionate mental health professionals and trust them to help navigate whatever they are experiencing, to include symptoms or signs of anxiety or depression. The hotline is free, confidential, and available 24/7 at 1-800-691-4336.
Farm and Farm Family Risk and Resilience: A Guide for Extension Educational Programming
A collaboration between the University of Maryland Extension and the University of Delaware Cooperative Extension, this guide contains a literature review and a farm and farm family risk and resilience framework, a set of three logic models for programming with three different audiences, tools for assessment and teaching, and teaching resources.
Farm State of Mind
From the American Farm Bureau Federation, this resource offers strategies to help identify warning signs of mental health challenges, start a conversation about mental health, and connect individuals with other support systems.
Farm Strong
Farm Strong shares farmer-to-farmer tips to help increase wellbeing and cope better with the ups and downs of farming.
Iowa Concern Hotline
The Iowa Concern Hotline is a 24-hour a day, 7-day a week, confidential resources for anyone with concerns or questions about farm finances, crisis and disaster response and personal health issues.
Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota Wearing Out Your Bootstraps Campaign
This fold-out has information to help identify signs of sadness and depression, where to get help, and what to do if you are worried about someone.
Managing Farm Stress
Michigan State University Extension has resources and educators that can help identify and manage stress, including a free online stress course and help connecting with a teletherapy professional.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Lifeline provides 24/7, free, and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for individuals, and best practices for professionals. The suicide hotline is 1-800-273-TALK.
Preventing Farmer Suicide: Collaboration and Communication
Farmers face a multitude of unique stressors, such as difficult economic conditions and extreme weather. These challenges have led to a recent increase in the number of farmers taking their own lives. Experts discuss warning signs of suicide and how communities can help farmers and their families address mental health concerns. This video was developed by the Rural Health Information Hub.
Rural Response to Farmer Mental Health and Suicide Prevention
This issue guide, provided by the Rural Health Information Hub, discusses the rising mental health crisis in farming communities and provides information on organizations and model programs that are addressing the challenges and mental health needs of this population.
Rural Suicide Prevention Toolkit
This new toolkit compiles evidence-based models and resources to support organizations employing suicide prevention programs in rural communities. Learn how to implement, evaluate, and sustain suicide prevention programs in your community. This toolkit is housed with the Rural Health Information Hub and created in partnership with the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center and the NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis.
Successful Farming Mental Health Resources for Farmers and Ranchers
Successful Farming has a collection of publications on topics including mental health success stories, tips for reaching out to persons in need, and increasing mental health awareness.
