May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and CDFA recognizes that stressors felt by farmworkers, farmers and ranchers are real and may require outside assistance. The agency maintains a webpage with mental health resources for those in need.
Suicide rates among farmers and ranchers are well above the national average, while mental health services are less available and accessible in rural areas, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Mental health can be an often-overlooked challenge facing farm communities nationwide, due to factors like farmland loss, land access issues, rising production costs, and plummeting farm incomes that have ripple effects in communities.
CDFA’s Mental Health Resources Page includes a variety of referral resources as well as tips on stress management, including the importance of healthy relationships, a nutritious diet, consistent exercise, and good sleep.