Posted: August 27, 2026
Access, not stigma, keeps farmers from mental health care
Governments and organizations that provide mental health support to farmers dealing with depression, anxiety, and isolation traditionally have focused on overcoming the stigma associated with getting help—but that isn’t the barrier farmers face, according to a study led by rural sociologists in the college.
The bigger issues are rural health care shortages, long wait times for appointments and travel, and high health care costs, the researchers explained.
The team said recent findings from its ongoing study, published in the Journal of Rural Studies, suggest that more effective programs with additional resources to address financial challenges—including efforts to help farmers navigate complex, time-consuming paperwork—could do far more to help.
Farmers experience mental health problems at up to five times the national rate, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation, often related to stress caused by financial pressure and debt, uncertainty about weather and markets, and worries about farm succession and labor shortages. These concerns can be compounded by isolation in rural areas.
Despite several organizations and governmental bodies investing in mental health programs such as counseling, suicide hotlines, and educational workshops for farmers, many don’t use available support.
“This study is the first to look simultaneously at farmers’ willingness to seek help as well as their ability actually to get it,” said study senior author Florence Becot, Nationwide Insurance Early Career Professor in Agricultural Safety and Health.
—Jeff Mulhollem
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