NDA receives behavioral analysis grant

A grant of $500,000 has been received by the Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) from the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture to aid with behavioral health assistance for the state’s agriculturists.

The money will be distributed over the next year from Sept. 1-Aug.  31, 2022 in the form of vouchers from the Nebraska Rural Response Hotline, with help from Legal Aid of Nebraska. 

The Rural Response Hotline has been running for 35 years since its creation by the Interchurch Ministries of Nebraska in 1984.

Agriculturalists who are experiencing hardship and want to seek mental health help can call the Rural Response Hotline at 800-464-0258. 

After calling the hotline, participants will speak to staff members who will refer them to services or people that might help them, including counselors, attorneys or financial offices. 

If necessary, participants will receive a voucher which allows for one free hour of counseling at participating offices, when used within 30 days of receiving it. 

According to the Rural Health Information Hub, agriculturists have limited access to health services, including mental health.

Agriculturists have a unique set of stressors, according to the American Psychological Association, including weather related stressors, COVID-19, family pressures and economic failure. 

Farming and ranching can be difficult because of the uncertainty of the job, changing weather patterns, droughts, flooding, tornadoes and fires can all cause damage to land and crops. Financial fluctuation also causes stress to agriculturists who are unable to predict how much money they will make each year. 

A survey done by American Farm Bureau Association, showed that the reasons that farmers don’t access mental health is because of a lack of mental health facilities in the area, embarrassment, treatment costs and lack of mental health awareness.

The study also showed that agriculturists were more likely to talk to primary care doctors, family friends, religious leaders and family members. 

A study done by Andrea Bjornestad, Courtney Cuthbertson and Jessie Hendricks, published this year by the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, showed that Midwestern farmers had an increased risk of suicide. 

It also showed that suicide risk in agriculturists is rooted in self-blame for issues and problems that occur on the land. Self-blame was categorized by the study as being  beneficial for farmers not struggling with mental health and being a significant factor for those who were. 

Two suicidal pathways were identified by the study, acute situational and protracted. Protracted refers to long-term mental disorders while acute applies to changing issues like financial difficulty and relationship issues. 

In farming communities, men are more likely to attempt suicide, however, in the general population women are more likely to attempt suicide. 

Overall, the study found that farmers were at an increased risk for suicide and mental health issues.

Contact Rural Response Hotline at 800-464-0258, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 800-273-8255 or 911 in emergencies for assistance with mental health or suicidal ideation.