University of Idaho Extension raising awareness about mental health challenges in Idaho’s rural areas, farming communities

A team of University of Idaho (U of I) Extension educators is looking for agricultural communities that are willing to host public discussions about mental health and the increased risk of depression and suicide in rural America. The goal is to increase awareness and find solutions to the problem.  

Talje Hoene, U of I Extension mental health program coordinator, said, “It’s been noticed in the past couple years that farmers and agricultural workers are a vulnerable population. Their work includes an abundance of unique stressors that increase their susceptibility to mental illness…financial pressures, debt load, dependence on unpredictable weather, fatigue, fear of losing the farm, loneliness and social isolation, and more.” 

“The pandemic has had a notable negative impact on farmers,” Hoene added. “The American Farm Bureau did a poll in 2020 that noted that farmers/farmworkers were more likely than rural adults to say COVID-19 has impacted their mental health (66% versus 53%).”  

The university’s program officially launched in September, and began with four people undergoing eight-to-10-hour training in “Everyday Democracy” Facilitation. The training specifically covered how to recognize and respond to warning signs of depression and suicide, then how to facilitate separate sessions for rural communities.  

Those who complete the course receive mental health first aid certification. Since then, the team has worked to identify communities suited for the program and to set up public discussions. According to a press release, each community that develops an action plan to identify concepts that could be impacting mental health and completes six public discussions will receive $3,000 toward implementing its idea.  

David Callister, UI Extension educator in Butte County, is part of the team that presents and facilitates the program. He said he understands firsthand the hard work and disappointments that farmers often face. Callister farmed with family for over two decades until 2018, when his family members retired, and he wasn’t able to buy them all out.  

“Mental health is rarely discussed in agricultural settings,” he explained. “We expect each other to ‘buckup and deal with problems.’ On the flip side, if someone is very ill, injured or dies, neighbors are more than willing to help with planting, feeding or harvesting. As a community, we need to realize and be open to recognizing that sometimes mental health is like physical health — sometimes we will get better on our own and sometimes we need to visit the doctor to be made whole. Most of Idaho is rural and lacks mental health professionals.”  

“Farmers and ranchers have a strong attachment to the land they work on and often operate under a high level of financial risk,” Callister also said. “This combination can be overwhelming at times, leading to depression and suicide during periods of financial uncertainty.” 

Currently, Hoene and the team of three other people are having meetings with 12 partnered communities. They are looking for five more to partner with, and remain fluid in their approach with each community, tailoring it to the culture, needs, population and resources. The team wants to ensure that participation is as easy as possible and is working to remove barriers against being involved.  

“I feel like we have been accepted everywhere we have presented,” Callister said. “When we are willing to talk about how depression and suicide have impacted our lives, others start to open up and are willing to discuss the issue. By empowering others to ask their neighbors how they are doing and helping them see a path forward in life, this program has the potential to really change people’s lives. If we do nothing more than decrease the stigma of talking about mental health, I think we will have done Idaho a great service.”