Agriculture is a stressful occupation, and farmers face substantial mental health challenges. Research indicates they often experience higher levels of anxiety and depression compared to the general population, but less is known about the effects on their families. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign explores how economic stressors affect the mental health of U.S. farmers and their adolescent children.

“Routinely asking about mental health normalizes the conversation, much like asking about digestive health or any other body system you discuss with your primary care provider,” said study coauthor Jessica Jurasin, MSN, FNP-C, ARN. “It serves as an invitation to start the discussion, which can be an enormous hurdle when stigma is involved.”