Missouri expands rural mental health services
Missouri’s rural counties lack mental health services despite growing financial stress and suicide rates.
All of Missouri’s 99 rural counties face a shortage of mental health professionals; 57 of them have none.
University of Missouri Extension hopes to change that through a multistate project to help farmers, ranchers and farm families find affordable help close to home.
MU is part of a $28.7 million, three-year grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture through the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network.
FRSAN supports projects that provide stress assistance and suicide prevention services for farmers, ranchers and others in agricultural occupations, says MU Extension health and safety specialist Karen Funkenbusch, who is MU’s principal investigator for the grant.
Trade policies and extreme weather have increased financial stress on the farm, she says. While the U.S. economy overall saw continued growth after the 2008-2009 recession, the farm sector has endured six periods of recession and rising numbers of bankruptcies.
Suicide rates among rural Missourians rose by 78% between 2003 and 2017, Funkenbusch says. Hospital emergency departments reported a 177% increase in visits for suicide attempts or suicidal ideation in the past decade.
MU Extension is well-suited to offer stress and suicide prevention training in rural areas and help citizens find needed resources, says MU Vice Chancellor for Extension and Engagement Marshall Stewart.
MU Extension professionals in all of Missouri’s 114 counties and a large network of health care and agriculture groups will collaborate to bring services to underserved areas, Stewart says. In addition, MU Extension will share resources with agency partners and others.
As part of the project, MU Extension faculty will train to become certified instructors in Mental Health First Aid, Question, Persuade, Refer and Taking Care of You. They will provide information to farmers through online and printed resources and social media. They also will hold workshops geared toward farmers and ranchers. The goal is to reach 800 farmers by the end of 2021.
