the behavior of farm and ranch people michael r. rosmann, ph.d. randolph r. weigel, ph.d. national...

The Behavior of Farm and Ranch People

Michael R. Rosmann, Ph.D.

Randolph R. Weigel, Ph.D.

National AgrAbility Training Workshop

Hyatt Regency HotelWichita, KS

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Produced by AgriWellness, Inc., Nov. 2008

Wyoming AgrAbility1000 E. University Ave.

Dept. 4298Laramie, WY 82071

(307) 766-3052(866) 395-4986 (toll-free)

E-mail: [email protected]

www.uwyo.edu/agrability

1210 71210 7thth Street, Suite C Street, Suite C

Harlan, Iowa 51537Harlan, Iowa 51537

Telephone: 712-235-6100Telephone: 712-235-6100

Fax: 712-235-6105Fax: 712-235-6105

Email: Email: [email protected]@agriwellness.org

Web site: Web site: www.agriwellness.orgwww.agriwellness.org

Building hope and health in Building hope and health in the rural agricultural the rural agricultural

communitycommunity


Acknowledgments

J. Pat Hart, Ph.D., Hart & Associates J. Pat Hart, Ph.D., Hart & Associates Rural2Rural Consulting, Program EvaluatorRural2Rural Consulting, Program Evaluator

Shari Stucker, M.Div., Data Management Shari Stucker, M.Div., Data Management Coordinator, AgriWellness, Inc.Coordinator, AgriWellness, Inc.

HRSA, Office of Rural Health Programs, Grant HRSA, Office of Rural Health Programs, Grant No. D06RH07935-01-00, Program FunderNo. D06RH07935-01-00, Program Funder

Great Plains Center for Agricultural Health Great Plains Center for Agricultural Health Subaward P.O. No. 1000608540, Project FunderSubaward P.O. No. 1000608540, Project Funder


AgriWellness – Building Hope and AgriWellness – Building Hope and Health in the Rural CommunityHealth in the Rural Community

Who We AreWho We AreAgriWellness was founded inAgriWellness was founded in2001 to provide administrative 2001 to provide administrative support, technical assistance and support, technical assistance and provider training in the Sowing provider training in the Sowing the Seeds of Hope region (i.e., the Seeds of Hope region (i.e., Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin). We build Dakota and Wisconsin). We build culturally competent, accessible, culturally competent, accessible, affordable behavioral health affordable behavioral health services for the agriculture services for the agriculture community.community.


Agricultural Behavioral Health©

The field of health involving the behavioral The field of health involving the behavioral healthcare of the agricultural population. healthcare of the agricultural population. Agricultural behavioral health implies Agricultural behavioral health implies understanding culture of farmers, ranchers and understanding culture of farmers, ranchers and other persons involved in the production of food other persons involved in the production of food and fiber and the understanding of the unique and fiber and the understanding of the unique behavioral health risks of this population and behavioral health risks of this population and methods of restoring disordered or dysfunctional methods of restoring disordered or dysfunctional behaviors of this population to wellness.behaviors of this population to wellness.


Agriculture has two major Agriculture has two major

components: “Agri” and “Culture.” components: “Agri” and “Culture.”

It is necessary for health service It is necessary for health service

providers to understand the providers to understand the

culture of food producers as well as culture of food producers as well as

the agricology of food production.the agricology of food production.


Sowing the Seeds of Hope Farm Crisis Hotlines

Iowa Concern Hotline: 800-447-1985Iowa Concern Hotline: 800-447-1985http://extension.iastate.edu/iowaconcernhttp://extension.iastate.edu/iowaconcern

Kansas Rural Family Helpline: 866-327-6578Kansas Rural Family Helpline: 866-327-6578http://www.humec.k-state.edu/fshs/pfws/krfhprogram.htmlhttp://www.humec.k-state.edu/fshs/pfws/krfhprogram.html

Minnesota Crisis Connection: 866-379-6363Minnesota Crisis Connection: 866-379-6363http://www.crisis.orghttp://www.crisis.org

Nebraska Rural Response Hotline: 800-464-0258Nebraska Rural Response Hotline: 800-464-0258http://uccnebraska.org/mission/RuralLife.htmlhttp://uccnebraska.org/mission/RuralLife.html

2-1-1 ND2-1-1 NDhttp://www.mhand.orghttp://www.mhand.org

South Dakota Rural Helpline: 800-664-1349South Dakota Rural Helpline: 800-664-1349http://www.rapidcitydiocese.org/Home/HomePage.htmhttp://www.rapidcitydiocese.org/Home/HomePage.htm

Wisconsin Farm Center: 800-942-2474Wisconsin Farm Center: 800-942-2474http://www/datcp.state.wi.us/core/agriculture/farm-centerhttp://www/datcp.state.wi.us/core/agriculture/farm-center


The SSoH Hotlines/Helplines Provide:

Culturally appropriate telephone counseling to Culturally appropriate telephone counseling to callers who are employed in agricultural callers who are employed in agricultural occupationsoccupations

Three of the SSoH farm crisis services Three of the SSoH farm crisis services (Minnesota Crisis Connection, (Minnesota Crisis Connection, 2-1-1 ND2-1-1 ND, South , South Dakota Rural Helpline) are certified by the Dakota Rural Helpline) are certified by the American Association of Suicidology to provide American Association of Suicidology to provide suicide prevention 24/7suicide prevention 24/7

At least two of the SSoH farm crisis services At least two of the SSoH farm crisis services (Iowa Concern Hotline, (Iowa Concern Hotline, 2-1-1 ND2-1-1 ND) are ) are accredited by the Alliance of Information and accredited by the Alliance of Information and Referral SystemsReferral Systems


The SSoH Hotlines/Helplines Provide (Cont):

All the SSoH hotlines/helplines offer information All the SSoH hotlines/helplines offer information and referral for professional behavioral health and referral for professional behavioral health services, other supports as needed (e.g., legal services, other supports as needed (e.g., legal advice, mediation, financial expertise, etc.), advice, mediation, financial expertise, etc.), community education, and most are able to offer community education, and most are able to offer support groups, educational retreats and home support groups, educational retreats and home visits by outreach workersvisits by outreach workers

All the SSoH hotlines/helplines have state All the SSoH hotlines/helplines have state coalitions of supporters who may assist with coalitions of supporters who may assist with promotion and fundingpromotion and funding


Characteristics of Callers to the Sowing the Seeds of Hope Hotlines/Helplines

79% lived on farms and were farmers79% lived on farms and were farmers 11% lived on farms and were connected with agriculture but 11% lived on farms and were connected with agriculture but

were not farmerswere not farmers 10% were farmers and lived in town10% were farmers and lived in town 2% of all callers reported suicidal ideation; 12 persons had 2% of all callers reported suicidal ideation; 12 persons had

attempted suicide and another 10 had a suicide planattempted suicide and another 10 had a suicide plan 53% of the callers were males53% of the callers were males Reasons for calling the hotlines:Reasons for calling the hotlines:

Marital/family problems – 9%Marital/family problems – 9% Problems coping with daily activities – 14%Problems coping with daily activities – 14% Depression/mood disorder – 14%Depression/mood disorder – 14% Alcohol/drug misuse – 2%Alcohol/drug misuse – 2% Stress over finances – 14%Stress over finances – 14% Gambling – 1%Gambling – 1% Information/referral – 12%Information/referral – 12%


Managing Our Behavior

Behavior, like a feed ration, has

ingredients that can be varied to

maximize our wellbeing: what we

consume, how much and how hard

we work, sleep, recreate, pray,

laugh, talk and so forth.

Produced by AgriWellness, Inc. Nov. 2008

Farm Resource Center226 Main Street, PO Box 87

Mound City, IL 62963Telephone: 800-851-4719

Fax: (618) 748-9622Email: [email protected]

Produced by Michael R. Rosmann, Ph.D., 5/18/06

Research has accumulated which Research has accumulated which

indicates the agricultural population indicates the agricultural population

has a higher incidence ofhas a higher incidence of

depression, related to stress, than depression, related to stress, than

the non-agricultural population.the non-agricultural population.



The relationship between stress and

performance is an inverted U-shape

function, that is, as stress increases,

performance improves until stress becomes

overwhelming; thereafter, as stress

increases, performance deteriorates and an

individual may become incapacitated.

Risk for Farm – Related Injuries

Farmers experiencing high economicFarmers experiencing high economic

related stress are 2 – 3 times morerelated stress are 2 – 3 times more

likely to experience a serious injurylikely to experience a serious injury

than farmers not experiencing highthan farmers not experiencing high

stress.stress.

Source: K. Thu, et al. (1997) Stress as a Risk Factor for Agricultural Injuries. Journal of Agromedicine 4(3/4) 181-191.


By its very nature, agriculture is

enmeshed in cycles of life and

death. It is more than

coincidence that farmers are

more apt to take their lives

during the planting and harvest

seasons than at other times.


Age-Adjusted U.S. Suicide

Rates by

Urban-Rural, 1970 – 1997*

Source: Singh, G. K., & Siahpush, M. (2002). The increasing rural-urban gradients in U.S. suicide mortality, 1970 – 1997.

American Journal of Public Health, 92(7), 1161-1167.

Produced by AgriWellness, Inc., Oct. 2008

Comparison of Suicide by Farmers vs. Non-Farmers*

Farmers Non-Farmers

Rate is twice the national average. Rate is slightly below average.

Likely to occur in spring and fall. More likely to occur in summer.

More likely to occur on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.

More likely to occur on Friday and Saturday.

More likely to occur between 6:00 and 11:59 a.m.

More likely to occur in late p.m., early a.m.

Firearms are main method. Greater variety of methods.

Few attempts precede suicide. Many attempts precede suicide.

*Source: Gunderson, P., Donner, B., Nashold, R., Salkowicz, L., Sperry, S., & Wittman, B. (1993). The epidemiologyof suicide among farm residents or workers in five north-central states, 1980 - 1988. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 9, 26-32.


The Agrarian Imperative

Like many animal species, humans have a Like many animal species, humans have a basic need to acquire sufficient territory to produce basic need to acquire sufficient territory to produce the food and shelter required by their families and the food and shelter required by their families and communities. Also called “the agrarian communities. Also called “the agrarian personality”, this genetically programmed instinct personality”, this genetically programmed instinct drives farmers to hang onto their land at all costs. drives farmers to hang onto their land at all costs. The agrarian imperative instills farmers to work The agrarian imperative instills farmers to work incredibly hard, to endure unusual pain and incredibly hard, to endure unusual pain and hardship and to take uncommon risks. hardship and to take uncommon risks.


To farmers, “the land is everything.” To farmers, “the land is everything.”

Ownership of a family farm is theOwnership of a family farm is the

triumphant result of the struggles of triumphant result of the struggles of

many generations. Losing the family many generations. Losing the family

farm is the ultimate loss – bring shame to farm is the ultimate loss – bring shame to

The generation that has let down their The generation that has let down their

forbearers and dashing the hopes for forbearers and dashing the hopes for

successors.successors.


Ranching in the West:Is it Hazardous to your

Health?

Let’s go westIt’s our ticket out of hereYeah we can disappearLet’s go westAnd that painted sky was made for usIt’s everything we ever dreamed ofLet’s go west.

Brooks & Dunn Let’s Go West

Western Landscape/Wide Open SpacesWestern Landscape/Wide Open Spaces

• Geo-conflicts

• Frontier Rural Areas

• Life on the Edge

“Kent Knudson picked up a rifle andopened fire, defending his 40 acres inArizona, and got handcuffed and hauled to jail.”

High Country NewsMarch 1, 2004vol. 36, no. 4

Traditional Male

•Male Upbringing

•Counseling the Cowboy

•Ranch Preservationism

“What’s it going to take – me sitting onmy front porch shooting the next son of a bitch that tells me when I canand can’t move my cows?”

New Mexico RancherHigh Country Newsretrieved, 2/4/2004 from:http://www.hcn.org/

Changing Fabric of Rural Life

• Fewer ranchers and farmers

• Urban migration

• Growing global economy

• Reduced concern for the plight of agriculture

Australian Viewpoint

Increasingly, urban people ask why theyshould bail out farmers suffering misfortunewhen other businesses in the same situationdo not. After all, farmers choose a rurallife and participation in an industry subjectto the whims of nature.

American Viewpoint

Taxpayer dollars are being used to propup the private exploitation of our public landsto the detriment of the nation’s wildlife. Animals and plants by the hundreds are beingpushed onto threatened and endangered listsby livestock production.

Changing Fabric of Rural Life (cont.)

• Reduced support service “safety net”

• Comparable levels of urban/rural mental illness

• High levels of behavioral health issues in western, rural environments

NOTE: Rankings in red indicate states ranked in the top 10 for that year. Rankings in blue represent states with rates at or below the

national rate for the year. Rankings in black indicate states with rates above the national rate for the year but not in the top 10.

State / [Region] 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000

Nevada [M] 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 02

Wyoming [M] 06 03 04 02 02 06T 05 04 03 02 05

Alaska [P] 25T 24 09 09 03 06T 02T 02 02 06 01

Arizona [M] 04T 05 06 03T 04 03 08 08 05 05 06

Montana [M] 02 02 03 03T 05 02 02T 03 04 03 04

New Mexico [M] 04T 04 02 05 06 04 04 05T 06 04 03

Idaho [M] 03 09 08 06 07 08 12 05T 08 08 16T

Colorado [M] 07 06 05 07 08 05 06 10 12 10T 07T

Oregon [P] 09 11 07 12 09 09 09 09 07 09 07T

Utah [M] 10 07T 12 16 10 13 13 12 09 15T 10

State Rankings on Suicide, 1990-2000

http://mypage.iusb.edu/~jmcintos/SuicideStates.html

Why the West’s Soaring Suicide Rate?

Four factors common to the Mountain states:- loss of family ties- availability of firearms- lack of behavioral health- geography

Briggs, B. (Aug. 27, 2000) Isolation, access to guns tied to West’s soaring rateThe Sunday Denver Post

Increasing the Probability of Violent or At-risk Behavior

Suicide, Homicide, Abuse

(Survey of farm/ranch literature)

Risk Factors:

• Age• Depression & co-morbidity• Physical health• Access to means• Full time farmer• Spring time• Familiarity with death• Continual experience of loss

“You see farmers along the country-side standing in piles of their livelihood,in piles of dead animals and the stressis just immense.”

David Hambley, a farmer from South WalesABC News.com (March 19, 2001)

Summary: Obstacles to Behavioral Health Care in the Rockies

• Shortage of health professionals• Staff turnover• Lack of choice of provider• High rates of under/un-insured• Cultural barriers• Lack of confidentiality• Distance

Corrine, J. (2003)Frontier communities: Leading the way with innovativeapproaches to behavioral health

Advocate: For Improved Health Delivery

• Integration of health services

• Training of care providers & others

• Increased use of telemedicine

Advocate: For Improved Ranch & Farm Family Safety Nets

• Helplines & Intervention/Referral Services

• Economic support

• Rural support networks

• Conflict resolution strategies

Advocate: For Improved Help SeekingBehavior

• Culturally sensitive natural helpers

• Continued public consciousness

• Reducing the stigma of help seeking

When ranchers/farmers seek help:

• Minimize mental health jargon

• Speak in terms ranchers & farmers relate to

• Realize that they seek the status-quo

• Know that they view STRESS as an agricultural issue, not a personal issue

• Know that ranching/farming is not a job

“ For many men, being a rancher orfarmer is a very complex psychological,sociological, and some would say, spiritual connection. Ranching and farming is a way of life, a profession, acovenant with the land, and a commitment to the future.”

Beeson, P. (1999). Farm crisis and mental health summit: A summary of findings.

Selected Resources

•www.uwyo.edu/ces/LIFE/Personal_Nature_Main.html

•www.wiche.edu/MentalHealth/Frontier/frontier.htm

•A New Psychotherapy for Traditional MenGary R. Brooks ISBN 0-7879-4123-9

•Leaning Into The WindHasselstrom, Collier, and Curtis ISBN 0-395-83738-3

The Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 (i.e., The Farm Bill) authorizes a Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN) which contains the

following provisions: Requires the Secretary of Agriculture, in coordination with the Requires the Secretary of Agriculture, in coordination with the

Secretary of Health and Human Services, to make competitive Secretary of Health and Human Services, to make competitive grants to support cooperative programs between state Extension grants to support cooperative programs between state Extension services and nonprofit organizationsservices and nonprofit organizations

Each FRSAN shall provide stress assistance programs to Each FRSAN shall provide stress assistance programs to individuals engaged in farming, ranching and other agricultural-individuals engaged in farming, ranching and other agricultural-related occupationsrelated occupations

Funds shall be awarded to initiate, expand or sustain programs Funds shall be awarded to initiate, expand or sustain programs that provide professional agricultural behavioral health that provide professional agricultural behavioral health counseling and referral for other forms of assistance as counseling and referral for other forms of assistance as necessary through farm telephone helplines and websitesnecessary through farm telephone helplines and websites

Make available community education, support groups, outreach Make available community education, support groups, outreach services and activities, and home visits to deliver assistance in services and activities, and home visits to deliver assistance in situations in which a farm resident is homeboundsituations in which a farm resident is homebound

The FRSAN will operate like an Employee Assistance Plan for The FRSAN will operate like an Employee Assistance Plan for the agricultural populationthe agricultural population


State Farm Crisis Telephone Hotlines/Helplines

And Follow-Up Services

Illinois: Illinois Farm Resource Center: 877-633-3372

Iowa: Iowa Concern Hotline* 800-447-1985

Kansas: Kansas Rural Family Helpline* 866-327-6578

Minnesota: Minnesota Crisis Connection* 866-379-6363

Nebraska: Nebraska Rural Response Hotline* 800-464-0258

New York: NY Farm Net 800-547-3276

2-1-1 ND*

South Dakota: South Dakota Rural Helpline* 800-664-1349

Tennessee: Univ. of Tennessee MANAGE 800-345-0561

Wisconsin: Wisconsin Farm Center* 800-942-2474


*SSoH hotlines/helplines

National Occupational Research Agenda - Agriculture, Fishing and Forestry Sector

Council Draft Agenda

Intermediate Goal 5.5 – Develop and Intermediate Goal 5.5 – Develop and promote adoption of effective promote adoption of effective interventions to enhance psychological interventions to enhance psychological well-being of workers and to minimize the well-being of workers and to minimize the adverse effects of stressful agricultural adverse effects of stressful agricultural working conditions (e.g., economic working conditions (e.g., economic forces, weather and isolation).forces, weather and isolation).


Draft NORA Action Steps

Action step 5.5.1 – Develop a surveillance system to help Action step 5.5.1 – Develop a surveillance system to help qualify the types and extent of psychological disorders qualify the types and extent of psychological disorders experienced by agricultural workers. Use these findings to experienced by agricultural workers. Use these findings to develop research priorities.develop research priorities.

Action step 5.5.2 – Conduct more research on these issues as Action step 5.5.2 – Conduct more research on these issues as they relate to specific regional concerns or patterns. they relate to specific regional concerns or patterns.

Action Step 5.5.3 – Develop, implement and evaluate culturally Action Step 5.5.3 – Develop, implement and evaluate culturally appropriate educational and outreach programs for promoting appropriate educational and outreach programs for promoting psychological well-being of agricultural producers, farm psychological well-being of agricultural producers, farm workers and their families. Involve agricultural workers in workers and their families. Involve agricultural workers in their development and delivery. their development and delivery.


What is Needed:

Appropriation of funds to implement the FRSANAppropriation of funds to implement the FRSAN Standardize training for hotline/helpline Standardize training for hotline/helpline

telephone responders in culturally appropriate telephone responders in culturally appropriate methods, standardize training in agricultural methods, standardize training in agricultural behavioral health for professional providers and behavioral health for professional providers and standardize data reportingstandardize data reporting

Research to evaluate the overall effectiveness of Research to evaluate the overall effectiveness of previous and currently existing farm crisis previous and currently existing farm crisis servicesservices

Produced by AgriWellness, Inc., Nov.. 2008

What AgriWellness and the SSoH Partners are Doing:

Working on a textbook and curriculum in Working on a textbook and curriculum in agricultural behavioral healthagricultural behavioral health

Conducting research on the effectiveness of farm Conducting research on the effectiveness of farm crisis services crisis services

Training behavioral healthcare providers and Training behavioral healthcare providers and disaster behavioral healthcare providers who disaster behavioral healthcare providers who serve rural and agricultural peopleserve rural and agricultural people

Offering consultation services to organizations Offering consultation services to organizations and agencies interested in implementing the and agencies interested in implementing the FRSANFRSAN


The Clock is Ticking for Rural America: A Behavioral Health and Safety Conference

A unique conference for farmers, ranchers,farm workers, professional healthcare

providers, planners, Extension personnel and anyone interested in enhancing the behavioral

health of the agricultural population.

August 3 – 5, 2009Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Conference themes:• Can We Find a Balance: Farm Chemicals, Our Environment and Our

Behavior with Them?• How to Recognize the Unique Dimensions of Depression in Rural and

Agricultural People.• Multiple Generations in Farming: Attitudes of Retiring Farmers, Boomers,

Xers, and Millennials.

For more information visit: http://www.agriwellness.orgProduced by AgriWellness, Inc., Nov. 2008

So Long!

the behavior of farm and ranch people michael r. rosmann, ph.d. randolph r. weigel, ph.d. national...

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