Agricultural producers experience worse mental health than the general population.
Research, resources and services have mostly targeted adult owners/operators and farmworkers; however, children live and work in the agricultural environment.
The Farm Youth and Stress webinar from 3 to 4 p.m. Sept. 26 will take a closer look at the status of farm youth mental health. The causes of stress among youth living in farming and rural communities will be recognized, and resources available to assist families will be highlighted.
At the end of this webinar, participants will be able to describe the status of farm youth mental health, including prevalence of anxiety and depression; recognize common and unique reasons or causes of stress among youth living in farming and rural communities; and identify mental health and wellness resources available to assist farm families and where to locate them.
One of the presenters will be Jana Davidson, program manager of the Progressive Agriculture Foundation. She leads the foundation’s program team by overseeing day-to-day and long-range program operations while continuing to strengthen the overall reach, impact and outcomes of the Progressive Agriculture Safety Day programs.
She guides the program staff through ongoing efforts to reach more children, families and communities throughout North America to best align with the ongoing needs in rural and farming landscapes. She has been a volunteer with the PAF Safety Day program since 2005 and continues to coordinate a PAF Safety Day in her local community.
The other presenter will be Josie M. Rudolphi, an assistant professor and extension specialist in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Her research quantifies the burden of mental health conditions among agricultural populations, identifies risk and protective factors and considers socioecological interventions.
She co-directs the North Central Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Center, a 12-state collaborative that increases and expands stress and mental health services to agricultural producers, workers and their families.
To participate in this free one-hour webinar, visit purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_d4q0QNauVZ8dK7A. Registration closes Sept. 22.
For information, contact AgrAbility at 800-825-4264, visit agrability.org/training-category/upcoming or email [email protected].