Project Overview
Financial stress in the U.S. agricultural sector stirs apprehension that trends of the Farm Crisis of the 1980s will re-emerge; the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated many of those concerns. This project focused on collecting mental health resources for producers and those in rural communities together in an online library, along with the development of a series of online presentations to aid both producers and Extension educators / other rural professionals in recognizing the warning signs of mental health issues. Under the constraints of the COVID-19 pandemic, the project focused exclusively on delivering its content via webinars and recorded video modules to help participants understand the basics of mental health disorders, communicating under stress, understanding farm stresses, suicide awareness and response, and how to use mindfulness and other stress management tools. The project also compiled a listing of state and local mental health resources for all 77 Oklahoma counties in a directory which was made part of the project website. Project participants used pre- and post-interaction assessments to gauge the impact of the project materials. A number of important strategic alliances were also formed as a result of the project, paving the way for future efforts in farmer peer-counselor training.
Number of Participants: 154
PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS
There are no promotional materials available for this project.
EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS
There are no educational materials available for this project.
REPORTS & EVALUATIONS
There are no reports or evaluations available for this project.