Department of Agriculture rolls out helpline for Pennsylvania farmers
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture last week launched a mental health hotline for the state’s farmers and their families.
AgriStress HelpLine’s launch comes at a time when skyrocketing costs are straining every sector of the economy, and increasing stressors on the agriculture community.
Farm, business and financial issues, and fear of losing the farm are among the top contributors to farmers’ mental health, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation. Stigma and cost are the biggest barriers to famers getting the treatment they need for mental health conditions.
“There can be a stigma around seeking help for mental health issues, and we need to make farmers aware of all of the tools available to them,” Pennsylvania Farm Bureau President Rick Ebert said in a news release. “This helpline will provide another resource for farmers to reach out to trained professionals and get the assistance they need.”
The AgriStress HelpLine is open 24/7 and is free to farmers and their family members. Any farmer or family member in need of assistance may dial 833-897-2474 to speak with a health-care professional.
The AgriStress HelpLine is a collaboration between the state agriculture department and the AgriSafe Network. The hotline is made possible through a $500,000 grant from the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network for programming that addresses farmer stress and suicide.
The grant also supports mental health resources through the Center for Dairy Excellence.
For more on the AgriStress HelpLine, visit https://www.agriculture.pa.gov/Pages/Mental_Wellness.aspx.