Life in agriculture can be demanding and stressful. Those demands and stress can have an impact on the mental health and well-being of farmers, ranchers and ag professionals.

But there are resources available to help.

“It’s important to have mental health resources for everyone, but specifically for the agricultural community, including those in forestry, logging and commercial fishing. The ag industry faces specific stressors that just make it so much more difficult in life and work. There’s often a lack of resources because they live in rural areas,” Shelbie Lambert, Outreach Education Coordinator at the Southwest Center for Agricultural Health, Injury Prevention and Education (Southwest Ag Center) said.

Mental health in agriculture also faces a negative stigma.

“People don’t want to reach out for help because they think they must constantly be strong, independent and take care of themselves,” Lambert said.  “Those are positive attributes, but it’s becoming more important to address mental health as we see suicide rates on the rise in the industry. It’s obvious that mental health resources are needed.”

Organizations like the Southwest Ag Center and American Farm Bureau (AFBF) have put importance on making these resources available.

The following resources are easily accessible to farmers and ranchers.

Texas Resources

  • AgriStress Helpline for Texas – Southwest Ag Center: 833-897-2474
  • Stress Management & Crisis Support – Southwest Ag Center: visit uthct.edu
  • Mental Health Counseling – South Texas Rural Health Services: 830-879-3047 or visit SouthTexasRuralHealth.com
  • Mental Health Crisis Services – Texas Health and Human Services: visit hhs.texas.gov

National mental health hotlines

National training

Additional resources

Additional Information
For more information about stress, mental health and warning signs, visit AFBF’s Farmer State of Mind at fb.org/land/fsom or Southwest’s informational page at farmlifehelp.com.