Gender Differences Exist in Farmer Emotional Health

From 2020 to 2021, the researchers surveyed 592 Iowa women who were identified as farm operators by mail. Nichols personally interviewed some 70 female farmers.

“What stood out was the huge diversity of working arrangements for women farmers. And we were looking only at Iowans who might answer differently than other regions with different commodities,” Nichols said.

“In general, time pressures were the common theme. Answers highlighted the triple workload of home, farm and, often, off-farm employment, and the stress that comes with expectations for juggling that,” she continued. Health insurance concerns were universal. Younger female farmers indicated more stress related to finances.

TIPS TO SEEKING SUPPORT

Recommendations to “seek professional help” are often a generic prescription for those in distress, but DeSutter said the term needs a refresh. “Therapy and counseling are life-changing for so many people, and you don’t have to be in crisis mode to seek it,” she said. Professionals can help with a wide range of personal life goals and “make us better humans.”

DeSutter thinks the term “self-help” needs a makeover, too. “I like to think of it in a less fluffy way — not like manicures or taking vacations but rather integrating self-management and maintenance practices to keep ourselves functioning and performing at our best levels.

“We need to know our triggers, instead of waiting for chaos and seeing what cools us down,” DeSutter added. “Pay attention to what brings you peace — what levels you out and fuels you. Implement those self-management tools as you would machinery maintenance. If you don’t keep yourself in check before the heavy lifting rolls around, you’re bound to break down, too.”

Pamela Smith can be reached at [email protected]

Follow her on social platform X @PamSmithDTN

For more articles in this series:

Blog:

— Editors’ Notebook: “Take Time for Mental Health,”

Stories:

— Mental Health Hope & Help – 1: “Rural Americans Still Face Mental Health Stigma, Scarcity of Resources, But Outlook Is Improving,”

— Mental Health Hope & Help – 2: “Farmers Urge Fellow Farmers to Reach Out When Life Overwhelms,”

— Mental Health Hope & Help – 3: “Obstacles, Solutions Abound in Rural Youth Mental Health,”

Additional resources:

For more information and mental health resources, visit our “Spotlight on Rural Mental Health” page at https://spotlights.dtnpf.com/….

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