Dr. David Brown, Behavioral Health State Specialist for Iowa State University Extension& Outreach, joins us to discuss mental health challenges and handling stress in the turkey industry. We discuss how important it is to process guilt, especially with all of the challenges the industry has faced in the last year. Dr. Brown gives us tools to deal with stress, and how to recognize if someone around you is having a mental health challenge.
On this episode of The Turkey Talk Show, we discuss mental health and handling stress, especially in the turkey industry, with Dr. David Brown. Sheila and Gretta talk about how they deal with stress. They both like to walk on the treadmill, and Sheila enjoys listening to music because it also brightens her mood. Sheila shares a story of her morning, and how she spilled her coffee after taking the extensive time to make it, but, by some miraculous reason it didn't get on the coats or shoes around her, or on the notebooks she was holding. She decided to look on the bright side, instead of being upset about it, and treated herself to buying a coffee at a nearby coffee shop.
Dr. David Brown explained that he manages the ISU Extension and Outreach mental health and suicide prevention education, and also manages the farm stress programs and training for agri-businesses, in partner with the North Central Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Center.
With Dr. Brown, we discuss how some farmers are known to be independent and to hold-back what they are going through. It isn't always their first instinct to ask for help because there is a stigma around farmers and mental health. The mental health stigma has started to go away, and more people are talking about the beneficial resources that are out there, but a survey done says that only 4% of farmers reached out to a mental health provider, even though that has proven to be the best resource for them. Part of this reason the number is so low is because mental health providers in rural area are not very accessible, but in the past couple years since the COVID-19 pandemic, Telehealth calls with providers have become more common. They can be done anywhere, such as while farmers are working, and they are less stigmatizing and more confidential.
If you see physical changes, or changes in behavior, mood, or thinking in someone close to you, recognize these are signs they could be having a mental health crisis. The best way to support them, is to simply reach out and check-in on them. If you are further concerned about someone, the biggest question to ask them is if are thinking about suicide. Farmers have a higher rate of suicide than the general population because of the stress they go through taking care of their farm. ISU Extension and Outreach has resources everyone has access to such as the Iowa concern hotline (800-447-1895), stress counseling, and they have attorneys on staff if anyone is in need of legal education. Other resources out there includes the 988 National Suicide and Crisis Hotline. Both the Iowa and National hotlines are open 24/7 and free and confidential.
We discussed stress in the turkey industry with all of the problems going on such as HPAI. It is important to take a minute, to process and relax during those high-stress situations by using methods such as deep breathing, praying or practicing mindfulness. The most important thing you can do for your mental health is to find someone to talk to such as your friends, family, and others farmers. A reminder that everyone is going through these issues in the turkey industry, no one is alone. We bring up the term guilt in the turkey industry. Especially with HPAI, farmers feel guilt for exposing their area if they are the ones who broke the virus, but they also feel guilt if their farm is healthy while others around them are not. Farmers are at higher risk for suicide because of self-blame. Farmers tend to internalize all of the the things happening on their farm, even if there is outside factors affecting them, that they have no control over. It is okay to feel guilt, and farmers should understand that they can't control everything and accept what happens. Farmers should be proud of the food they are raising for people and know their importance in feeding the world. We discussed knowing it is also okay to find the joy during these hard situations because at the end of the day life is about finding the joy and happiness in your life.
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