CORVALLIS, Ore. — Farmers and ranchers face intense pressures — fluctuating markets, unpredictable weather, crop failures, long hours, injuries and multigenerational expectations. These stressors can lead to depression and, far too often, suicide.
Farmers die by suicide twice as often as the general population — 36 per 100,000 people — according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Rates have risen in recent years.
"These are farms that have been in their family probably for generations. That creates its own set of stressors and burdens on people’s hearts and minds.”
The Oregon State University Extension Service is positioned to help because its faculty work closely with agricultural producers across the state, said Cassie Bouska, associate professor of practice in the OSU College of Agricultural Sciences.
“We’re on their farms. We’re out there working with them, engaging them,” Bouska said. “So, we have a good pulse on the community and we’re a trusted resource.”
The Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Program, launched by OSU Extension in 2021, uses the QPR method — Question, Persuade, Refer — to help farmers, ranchers and their families identify signs of a mental health emergency and interrupt the progression toward suicide.
Bouska leads the Oregon Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network, with support from Julie Leep, an Extension educational program assistant in Coos County.
“Many farmers have poor financial situations that have been going on for years and years,” Bouska said. “They’re faced with the idea or the reality that they might have to walk away and do something else. These are farms that have been in their family probably for generations. That creates its own set of stressors and burdens on people’s hearts and minds.”
The network’s website lists warning signs of stress and suicide, including withdrawal, giving away valued possessions, depression, alcohol or drug misuse, or a decline in livestock care, farmstead appearance or personal hygiene.
QPR: A tool anyone can learn
To help people act when they notice warning signs, OSU Extension offers QPR trainings, many of them on Zoom. Participants learn how to:
- Recognize the warning signs of suicide.
- Question someone compassionately and directly.
- Persuade them to seek help.
- Refer them to professional support, such as a counselor, hospital or hotline.
Leep emphasized that it is a myth that suicide cannot be prevented.
“The fact is, suicide is the most preventable kind of death and almost any positive action can save a life,” she said.
Bouska added, “QPR isn’t counseling or treatment; instead, we are training people to be a safety net for high-risk individuals in their own environment. Anyone can use it. It offers hope through positive action. The end result is to get people help.”
Early impact of the program
To date, OSU Extension has trained about 450 people to recognize and respond to mental health emergencies.
Post-training survey results show strong gains:
- 67% reported increased knowledge of suicide warning signs.
- 83% gained a better understanding of suicide prevention, risk factors and how to ask someone about suicide.
- 67% reported increased understanding of how to persuade someone to seek help.
- 83% said they would likely ask someone directly about suicide if they saw warning signs.
As Bouska noted, asking someone whether they are suicidal is “most often met with relief by the person who is struggling.”
OSU is part of four regional Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network entities funded by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. These regional efforts aim to help agricultural communities address the unique stresses producers face and connect them with tools that save lives.
