Rural Resiliency – How to support mental health in rural communities Dr. Robin Tutor Marcom North Carolina Agromedicine Institute Dr. Susan Jakes NC State University Extension
Agenda • The state of Rural Mental Health – American Farm Bureau Survey • Everywhere we go we hear similar stories – compounded stressors • Rural Health care • Some innovative ideas & programs • Community Development’s Role • Promising Partnerships • Resources
American Farm Bureau Poll • April 4-10, 2019 • N=81 a survey was sent online to 2004 rural residents • https://www.fb.org/files/AFBF_Rural_Stress_Polling_Pre sentation_04.16.19.pdf
Mental Health is declining
It’s worse among young farmers
Self-medication is an Issue
Compounded Stress ▪ Increased production costs ▪ Intergenerational tension ▪ Development encroachment ▪ Tariffs ▪ Litigation ▪ Foreign competition ▪ Commodity of scale ▪ Weather ▪ Immigration ▪ Increased labor costs ▪ Regulation ▪ Tax re-evaluations ▪ Contract instability ▪ Media/Public perception ▪ The ‘next best thing’ ▪ Environmentalists ▪ Supply chain issues
How do farmers manage stress? ✓ Figure and Reassure ✓ Distraction ✓ Repression ✓ Faith ✓ Broaden and Build (positive reserves) ✓ Communication
Health Professional Shortage Area
Adult access to care
Youth Access to Mental Health Care
Promising Practice
Some innovative ideas and programs ▪ Farm Partners Program ▪ Farm Theater ▪ Manitoba Farm, Rural & Northern Support
What is Community Development’s Role
Promising Partnerships ▪ American Foundation for Suicide ▪ Public/Private Behavioral Health Prevention Care Providers ▪ Mental Health First Aid ▪ Public/Private Healthcare ▪ Eastern Area Health Education Providers ▪ Faith-based organizations Center ▪ Farm Credit ▪ NC Farm Bureau ▪ Farm Services Agency ▪ NC Grange ▪ NC Agribusiness Council ▪ NC Tobacco Trust Fund ▪ Commodity Associations Commission ▪ NC Department of Agriculture & ▪ Rural Health Leadership Alliance ▪ Students Consumer Services ▪ Veterans Farm of NC ▪ Farmers & their families
Resources ▪ American Foundation for Suicide Prevention www.afsp.org ▪ Ask in Earnest www.askinearnest.org ▪ Manitoba Farm, Rural & Northern Support Services https://supportline.ca/ ▪ Mental Health First Aid www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org ▪ Michigan State University Extension https://www.canr.msu.edu/managing_farm_stress/ ▪ New York Center for Agricultural Medicine & Health Farm Partners https://www.nycamh.org/programs-and-services/farm-partners.php
Resources ▪ North Carolina Farm Stress Resource Guide http://www.ncagromedicine.org/pdf/Resource%20Guide%2071519.pdf ▪ North Carolina StatewideTelepsychiatry Program (NC-STeP) https://www.ncdhhs.gov/divisions/office-rural-health/office-rural-health-pr ograms/statewide-telepsychiatry-program ▪ North Dakota State University Extension https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/farmranchstress ▪ University of Maryland Extension https://extension.umd.edu/FarmStressManagement ▪ University of Kentucky Farm Theater https://blogs.cdc.gov/niosh-science-blog/2019/05/10/farm-theater/ For more information, contact Dr. Deborah Reed dbreed01@email.uky.edu or Dr. Robin Tutor Marcom tutorr@ecu.edu
Questions? tutorr@ecu.edu Susan_jakes@ncsu.edu
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