​​​​​Stress, Anxiety, and Depression Affecting America’s Growers

February 2020 | 34 min., 53 sec.
by Ted Matthews
MN Rural Mental Health
https://doi.org/10.1094/GROW-COT-02-20-242

Summary

Matthews states that the suicide rate among farmers is among the highest for members of any occupation. For farmers, stress is constant and caused by many sources, including financial needs and obligations, seasonal and weather conditions, pest management, harvest timing and yields, and commodity prices. Matthews addresses a range of topics related to farmers’ stress, anxiety, and depression, including conceptions of mental health and illness, as well as community resources, family dynamics, communication skills, and more. A video featuring Matthews, The Surprising Reality of Depression and Suicide Among Farmers, is available for viewing on the HuffPost website.

About the Presenter

Ted Matthews​ Ted Matthews is director of MN Rural Mental Health based in Hutchinson, Minnesota. He is a mental health practitioner with more than 30 years of experience in counseling in rural areas. For the past 20 years, he has focused on supporting farmers’ mental health. Ted has been the director of mental health services duri​ng five natural disasters and provides outreach training and public speaking related to farm stressors nationwide. He also has extensive counseling experience in the areas of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), crisis intervention, family issues, suicidology, and domestic abuse. Ted has been featured on or in the Huffington Post, MPRNews, CNN, AgriNews, Successful Farming, Prairie Farmer, and many other platforms, offering his expertise to help the general population better understand the farming culture.​

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