Farmers experience very high levels of stress, triggered by stressors such as uncertain weather, uncertain finances, unpredictable input costs and commodity prices, changing policies and tariffs, exhaustion, social isolation, high risk of injury, and more recently, the COVID-19 pandemic. These high levels of stress can increase the risks of health problems, substance misuse, and suicide. Providing support to farmers for stress management and wellbeing can be challenging. Values such as stoicism and stigma around help-seeking make it difficult for farmers to admit when they are struggling with stress. This webinar will provide information on suicide and substance misuse rates in farmers, discuss stress and its impact, review simple strategies for stress management, and provide an overview of an Extension-based intervention to address farmer stress. 

 Trainer: Anna Scheyett, PhD, MSW, LCSW, is professor and former dean at the University of Georgia School of Social Work with a joint appointment in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Dr. Scheyett’s research examines community well-being of vulnerable populations, including individuals with mental illness and rural populations at risk of stress and suicide. 

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