Farm Life Stress
Resources For the Georgia Farming & Agricultural Community
Welcome to our 988 Farm Stress Resource Center, where we aim to shed light on the often-overlooked issue of farm stress.
Agriculture is a vital backbone of our society, providing food and resources that sustain us all. However, the pressures and challenges faced by farmers can take a toll on their mental and emotional well-being.
In this space, we explore the various factors contributing to farm stress, from financial uncertainties and unpredictable weather patterns to the isolation of rural life.
We also provide valuable resources and support to help farmers and their communities cope with these challenges, fostering resilience and promoting mental health within the agricultural sector.
Join us in addressing this critical issue and supporting those who work tirelessly to feed our world.
Farmers and Faith Roundtable
The Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities brought farmers and members of the faith community together at the 2023 Sunbelt AG Expo in Moultrie, Georgia.
Farm Stress Summit 2024
The 2024 Farm Stress Summit, held on March 20 at the Appalachian Campus of Chattahoochee Technical College in Jasper, Georgia, addressed the pressing issue of mental health challenges within Georgia's farming communities.
With farmers grappling with unfavorable weather, economic conditions, labor shortages, and other stressors, the event aimed to forge connections between farmers, mental health professionals, faith leaders, agencies, and associations to combat farm stress.
Spearheaded by the University of Georgia Extension and a consortium of agricultural stakeholders, the summit featured keynotes, discussions, and breakout sessions focused on suicide prevention, community strengths, and faith-based support.
The initiative builds upon research from the Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center and the Georgia Foundation for Agriculture, which documented alarming levels of stress, negative coping strategies, and suicidal ideation among farmers.
By fostering partnerships and disseminating resources, the summit sought to promote improved well-being and resilience among Georgia's farm families.
The Farm Stress Summit is hosted through a partnership between UGA Extension, the Georgia Agricultural Wellness Alliance, the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, the Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center, UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, UGA College of Public Health, UGA School of Social Work, Georgia Farm Bureau, Georgia Foundation for Agriculture, and the Georgia Department of Agriculture.
Stay tuned for information on the next Farm Stress Summit.
You Are Not Alone… Help Is Available at 988!
A recent study done at the Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center at Mercer University with assistance from the Georgia Foundation for Agriculture quantifies what many in agriculture have known — farming comes with extraordinary stress.
The survey of 1,651 respondents showed 96% of farmers are either moderately or highly stressed. Almost half of respondents said they felt sad or depressed, 39% felt hopeless.
The study showed that 29% of farm workers, owners and managers had thoughts of suicide in the past year. Among first-generation farmers, 60% said they had suicidal thoughts in the past year. 9% of those first-generation farmers think about suicide daily.
Georgia’s Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities wants you to know resources are available when the stress becomes overwhelming.
If the stress of farm life is overwhelming, we want you to know help is available 24/7. Call or Text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org
Social Media Toolkit
Feel free to download and post any of the images below to your social media accounts. You can help save a life today by raising awareness of 988 the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.