In a poll sponsored by the American Farm Bureau Federation, nearly half of farmers and farmworkers surveyed said they are experiencing more mental health challenges than they were a year ago. Financial issues were the most common stressor cited; other factors included the weather, the economy, isolation and stigma. Most of the rural Americans polled said that cost and stigma would make it harder for them to seek help or treatment. Research has shown that eighty-five percent of federally designated mental health professional shortage areas are in rural locations.
