February 22, 2024 – The prevalence of mental health challenges experienced by farm families and farming communities in Georgia is staggering. Faced with unfavorable weather, unfriendly economic conditions, labor shortages and more, farmers of all types often cope with the pressures of their profession in unhealthy ways, including considering suicide. 

In 2022, researchers with the Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center (GRHIC), at Mercer University School of Medicine, and the Georgia Foundation for Agriculture published a study based on surveys completed by more than 1,600 Georgia farmers, spouses, farm managers and farmworkers. The survey documented concerning levels of stress, negative coping strategies and suicidal ideation. This study reinforced earlier studies by the University of Georgia School of Social Work.