Agricultural producers and farm workers experience stressful working conditions that result in anxiety and depression at higher rates than the general population. At the same time, access to mental health care is often lacking in rural areas. In response, the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture funded four regional farm and ranch stress assistance networks in 2019.
One of these networks is the North Central Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Center (NCFRSAC), which provides mental health assistance to agricultural producers, workers, and families in the Midwest.
Josie Rudolphi and Courtney Cuthbertson, Illinois Extension specialists and professors at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, are co-directors of NCFRSAC. In a new paper, they evaluated the center's services and outcomes over the past three years and provided recommendations for future approaches.
Read more at University of Illinois.