An American Farm Bureau Federation poll shows that the stigma surrounding mental health issues and getting help for them is declining in rural and farming areas, though it's still a significant obstacle. "AFBF conducted the survey of rural adults and farmers/farmworkers to measure changes and trends in stigma, personal experiences with mental health, awareness of information about mental health resources and comfort in talking about mental health with others," it says.Here are some of the top-line findings:

  • Rural stigma around seeking help or treatment for mental health has decreased over the past year, particularly in agriculture, but it's still an issue. Over the past year, there was a 4 percent decline in rural adults saying their friends and acquaintances attach stigma to such actions, and a 9% decline in saying people in their local community did so. But 59% of rural adults and 63% in farming communities say some stigma remains.
  • 83% of rural adults say they'd be comfortable talking about mental-health solutions with a friend or family member in need. And 92% of farmers or farmworkers say they'd be willing to do so—a 22% increase since April 2019.

Read the full article about farmer mental health by Heather Chapman at The Rural Blog.