A strong majority of farmers and farm-workers say the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted their mental health, according to a new American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) poll. The poll also indicates that more than half say they are personally experiencing more mental health challenges than they were a year ago.
The survey of rural adults and farmers/farmworkers reveals how the pandemic has affected their mental health and their communities. The survey also explores how attitudes and experiences around mental health have changed in rural and farm communities since AFBF conducted its first rural mental health survey in 2019.
“My takeaway from this survey is that the need for support is real, and we must not allow lack of access or a ‘too tough to need help’ mentality to stand in the way,” said AFBF President Zippy Duvall. “The pandemic added a mountain of stress to an already difficult year for farmers, and they need to know that sometimes it’s OK not to be OK, that people care and that there’s help and hope.”
The results of the new poll clearly demonstrate that the COVID-19 pandemic is having broad-ranging impacts among rural adults and farmers/farm-workers. Key findings include: …..
Learn more about COVID-19 Impacts Mental Health on the Farm on the Citrus Industry website.