The Colorado Department of Agriculture hosted a live Facebook talk on rural mental health on Wednesday. Panelists from five organizations dealing with the mental health of farmers answered questions from moderators and viewers.
The group discussed the link between physical and mental health, the stigma surrounding mental health in rural communities, the resources available in their areas and more.
Panelist Rebecca Edlund, assistant director of technology and membership at the Colorado Farm Bureau, works with the Colorado Bureau of Agricultural Dependence and Mental Health. She said farmers and ranchers face similar stressors as people in urban areas, such as economic change.
Edlund said rural life can increase stress through geographical and social segregation, high community transparency, limited control of factors such as weather and entry costs, and a lack of mental health resources.
“While (farmers and ranchers) are involved in these specific realities, they have to face them with tremendous strength and perseverance,” Edlund said. “But mental health resources are largely stigmatized. They are very vulnerable in that conversation and often do not have access to care at all. ”
Fighting stigma
The panel discussed the negative stigma surrounding mental health services in rural communities and ways to combat it. Edlund said that people can fight stigma by sharing their own stories about caring for their mental health.
Another panelist, Chad Reznicek, a behavioral health specialist at the Colorado AgrAbility project, said that mental health education makes people seek help more. The feeling of disconnection with others and the feeling of burden for them are the main risk factors for suicide, said Reznicek, so it is important that you let people know that you appreciate them.
“So when we ask, ‘How are you feeling today?’ That is more than accepting ‘Good’, “Reznicek said. ” Are you sure? Because you seem to have a lot on your plate lately. ‘ I just use that extra moment to make it clear that we are connected, that we care about people, I think that goes a long way. “
Hana Bates works for Southeast Health Group as the coordinator for agricultural activities in the Coffee Break project. She told other panelists that SHG provides COMET (Changing Our Mental and Emotional Trajectory) training, which emphasizes the importance of engaging others and actively listening to them.
“Take the time to listen to them because nine times out of 10 is all someone really wants,” Bates said. “They want to be confirmed, they want someone to listen to what is happening in their lives. And that could be the difference between taking one’s own life or having a good day. “
Mental and physical health
AgWell program director Clinton Wilson sat on the panel and said that stress can affect physical health, especially the circulatory system. Physical actions can also affect your mental health, which is why Wilson said that AgVell teaches its clients a technique called breathing in a box, which uses timed inhalations, exhalations and pauses.
“I practice this every night before I go to bed,” Wilson said. “It really helps me calm down, relax and focus on my breath.”
Reznicek called the relationship between mental and physical health a “two-way street”. AgrAbility provides farmers and ranchers with disabilities with tools ranging from gloves that reduce vibration to wheelchair lifts to help them do their jobs. The company provides its clients with a quality of life survey before and after helping them.
“What they discovered, after physical assessments and adjustments, increased people’s mental well-being by 28%, their existential well-being by 21%,” Reznicek said. “Then their perceived level of support by 20%”
The last panelist was Mariel Balbuena, executive director of the Coalition of Family Centers in La Plata. She said that the fight against the stigma against mental health will lead people to treat problems more as physical illnesses.
“If you have a toothache, go to the dentist,” Balbuena said. “If something happens to you, go to the emergency room, so if you have some anxiety or depression that you probably shouldn’t have, just look for a mental health doctor, because our mind is as important as our heart, blood. pressure or tooth ”.