Take a look at the next generation – your kids and grandkids – if you want to know why mental health matters.
Here are some statistics:
- According to the National Institute of Health, 60% to 65% of rural youth meet the criteria for depression but are less likely to access mental health services.
- Suicide rates among rural youth are nearly 74% higher than those in urban areas, according to the Rural Health Information Hub. These rates are growing at a faster pace than in urban areas.
- The rate of loneliness among young adults has increased every year between 1976 and 2019, reports the U.S. Surgeon General in the 2023 Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation.
The “pull yourself up by the bootstraps” culture of farming teaches our youth to “keep it to yourself if something is bothering you.” These don’t support mental wellness and can lead to long-term problems.
As a parent, 4-H leader and community volunteer, I find these facts deeply disturbing. How can we do better for young people in agriculture? Just as we do in effectively managing a herd, it makes sense to start with environment and genetics. But the truth is that there’s probably been more research done on cow comfort than there has on the mental wellness of rural communities.
What role does environment play? Isolation and mindset matter
Twenty percent of the American population lives in rural areas, but there’s a health equity issue in the rural community for both mental and physical health. It’s a struggle when farm people need a therapist, doctor or counselor who understands their lifestyle and the farming mindset.
The lack of access leaves young people particularly vulnerable because isolation runs deeper in rural areas, where youth face both geographic and social isolation. The use of technology can deepen that divide, making it harder for kids to develop conversation skills, express themselves and build relationships. When you add in the challenges of online schooling, the opportunities for face-to-face interaction shrink even further.
Smartphones became a fixture in teens’ lives about a decade ago. While phones promised connection, the reality has often been more isolation. Instead of gathering after school, many young people now retreat into the 2D world of social media and video games. This is especially pronounced for kids already struggling – technology can become both a hiding place and a barrier to real-life connection.
Monica Kramer McConkey, a licensed professional counselor with a farm background in Minnesota, has seen this firsthand while counseling rural youth.
“Kids with mental health issues would tend to become isolated – it is super pronounced when they can hide in their social media and gaming world. Online school has decreased the need for human interaction,” Kramer McConkey says. She also notes that youth in small towns have a “feeling of stuckness” – they don't see a way out or an opportunity to achieve.
Even more alarming is the “suck it up, buttercup” mindset we proudly adhere to in agriculture. If a family member has a broken arm, it makes sense to have it diagnosed, set and casted. If a loved one has a mental health condition, it makes equally as much sense to have it diagnosed and treated – even if you can’t see it or believe that depression/anxiety is an illness.
You may think those “kids” just need to toughen up, but the science you rely on to make business decisions speaks loudly about human mental well-being. Science clearly shows that treatment of mental health conditions can be short-term, help the brain overcome challenges and move a person to a healthier, more productive place. Depression, anxiety, medication and therapy do not mean you should classify someone as a wimp.
Genetics at work: Your ability to manage stress is passed on
Science also shows that epigenetic changes impact the way future generations handle stress. Just as you breed cows for temperament and adaptation to different environments, your genetics are passed on to future generations – along with the way you handle stress. In other words, your refusal to address mental wellness may be the reason your children and grandchildren aren’t equipped to handle the stress of agriculture. Personally, epigenetic changes are my single greatest motivator to employ stress management tools.
In addition to the motivation of future generations’ genetics, the example you set in managing stress speaks louder than words. Covered in my past articles, these are essential tips to proactively protecting your mental well-being and model stress management for youth, your family and employees.
- Is your nutrition as balanced as your herd’s TMR?
- Are you getting enough sleep?
- Are you practicing “herd mentality” and maintaining social connections?
- How’s your intentional exercise – are you hitting a minimum of 20 minutes 3x a week?
- Will you take a break to regain perspective?
- Do you have any hobbies or interests away from the farm or business?
In addition to watching your actions, know that young ears hear everything said during family meals, and they absorb parental stress. Adults in agriculture experience high stress levels around personal finances, economic conditions, weather, the health of their land/animals and interpersonal relationships. Economics influence parents’ mental health, their relationships and how they parent, according to Dr. Josie Rudolphi with the University of Illinois – Urbana-Champaign and director of the North Central Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Center.
She adds, “Parents with more financial stress have more depression and anxiety, and their children do as well. There are 2 million adolescents living and working on farms. They are not immune to the stress.” You can learn more from her paper about stress, mental health and risk taking in agricultural youth.
What can you do?
My hope is to encourage you to be part of the solution for rural youth mental health challenges by first understanding the problem, some of the causes, how to start work with the person you see in the mirror and encourage all of us to work harder to help the next generation. How can you help solve this heartbreaking problem?
A dairy example of therapy and medication at work
Sarah Thomas, a former North Carolina State FFA Officer and recent Virginia Tech dairy judging standout, now at Select Sires, shares her mental health journey.
“Back in May, I was late getting some study material to my Holstein convention youth and one of them reached out about it, to which I responded, ‘I’m sorry. I’ve just been overwhelmed and have a lot on my plate. I’ll get this to you ASAP.’ Her response was, ‘You need to take care of yourself first.’ It made me tear up!
“We do have to take care of ourselves first, but we also don’t want to be perceived as needy, helpless or annoying. I am just trying to approach these youth with a sense that I care about them as an individual and only want to see good things happen for them. Of course, I will always promote therapy, but I recognize the backlash that comes with that. Maybe we need to dig deeper into why we as a society feel so against it? I think of therapy this way: It’s like a filing cabinet of our life, and the sessions are about going through those ‘folders’ and tidying them up some.
“I also realize the stigma behind medication. My first antidepressant was Zoloft in spring 2017. Before I started, I was so ticked off at the world, had intrusive thoughts about my self-worth and was mean to people I loved because I wanted to make them feel the same pain I was feeling. In just a few weeks after starting Zoloft, I felt a little more positive ‘umph’ in my step. I wasn’t so angry anymore and I was allowed to enjoy the things I do just a little bit more. Of course, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all for medication and we have to shop around sometimes, but it’s because we’re all different – especially in terms of body chemistry.”
