Farmers Under Pressure: Economic Stress and Isolation Fuel a Growing Mental Health Crisis
An Iowa Public Radio report examines the growing mental health crisis among farmers, through the story of Doug Fuller, a fourth-generation Iowa farmer who battled severe depression and lost his brother to suicide.
The piece highlights how economic volatility, rising input costs, low commodity prices, health insurance gaps, and isolation are driving extreme stress in farm communities — with farmers facing suicide rates more than three times higher than the general population.
The story also explores how peer support, hotlines, and telehealth are becoming lifelines for farmers who often struggle in silence.
Listen now:
