May is mental health awareness month and the Minnesota Farm Bureau is calling attention to the illness, specifically how it is affecting farmers.  Amanda Cook is the chairperson of the farm organization’s promotion and education committee.  She says there has been an increase of cases of farmers having to deal with stress, anxiety, and even depression.

Cook says COVID, high cost of farm inputs, roller coaster of commodity prices, the continuing drought, and even an increase of opioid addiction in rural areas are all contributing factors leading to more cases of farmer stress.   Cook says the Minnesota Farm Bureau is wanting to extend a hand and encourage farmers to seek help if they are suffering from added stress and anxiety.

The Minnesota Farm Bureau official explains the signs to look for which indicates the individual may be under additional stress.

Cook says other signs may include the individual is having difficulty in remembering, or can’t focus and concentrate, or even having trouble to make decisions.  She says survey results indicate more people in agriculture are turning for help.