HOPE on the
HORIZON FARMERS FACING CRISIS NEED SUPPORT NOW MORE THAN EVER By Jessica Mozo
FARMERS COME FROM STRONG STOCK – they rise before daylight, work around the clock and rarely take a vacation. There are cows to milk, seeds to plant, fields to plow, bills to pay and equipment to repair. It can be a struggle just to keep a farm afloat. “Farming is very important work, and it’s a 24/7 job,” says Heidi Liss Radunovich, a licensed psychologist and associate professor at the University of Florida. “Farmers can’t go on vacation and leave their work behind. They pride themselves on being very strong – on being able to push through and get it done.” It’s no wonder farmers across America struggle with mental health issues such as anxiety, depression and even suicide. The mental health of farmers wasn’t looked at closely until recent years, when agriculture workers began taking their own lives in increasingly higher numbers. A January 2020 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that out of all occupations, farmers are among the most likely to die by suicide. “Farmer mental health has come up as a big issue, and finding solutions is a tall order,” Radunovich says. 12
“They are such hard workers, but sometimes they push through to get the job done even when they’re suffering from chronic or emotional pain. They can’t rest like people in other occupations.”
FARMERS IN CRISIS Radunovich is collaborating with a group called AgriSafe to improve the mental health of Florida’s agriculture workers. The group secured a Department of Agriculture grant in October 2019 that will allow
them to reach out to Florida farm workers and identify issues impacting their mental well-being. “We don’t have a lot of statistics specific to Florida yet – this is work we still have to do,” Radunovich says. “Most research on farmer mental health has been international or in the Midwest, where they have some different issues than we do.” Florida farmers are vulnerable to natural disasters, for starters. According to a March 2020 study by the Southeastern Coastal Center for Agricultural Health and Safety, Florida’s agricultural industry experienced an estimated $1.3 billion in losses due to Hurricane Irma and another $1.4 billion in losses from Hurricane Michael from 2017 to 2018.
Need help? Talk to your doctor about options for counseling and/or medication. If someone you know is struggling, stop and ask how they are doing. Listen without judgment – their emotions are real. Ask if they have thought about talking to a mental health professional. Ask if they have contemplated suicide. If so, offer to call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline with them or accompany them to the local emergency room. Call one of the numbers below for help: Suicide Prevention Lifeline 800-273-TALK (8255) Disaster Distress Helpline 800-985-5990 For more resources, visit floridafarmbureau.org/mental-health-resources.
FLORIDAGRICULTURE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020
