Background: Farmers are disproportionally affected by depression and suicide. Social connectedness has been shown to reduce depression and suicide among the general population but its impact on farmers is less well-known. Our previous research indicated that farmers who had cooperative resources and social support reported decreased symptoms of depression. However, it was unclear whether farmers who were not cooperative members or utilized resources from non-cooperative organizations differed from cooperative farmers in mental health.
Methods: A survey consisted of online self-completion and phone interviews was conducted among 307 participants (197 co-op, 110 non-co-op) to examine whether Midwest (north central United States) cooperative and non-cooperative farmers differ in perceived stress and symptoms of depression and whether potential differences were impacted by program use, program satisfaction, and social support.
Results: Cooperative farmers reported lower perceived stress and symptoms of depression than non-cooperative farmers and the difference was statistically significant for perceived stress. Use of educational programs, such as training and mentorship, was associated with decreased perceived stress but not symptoms of depression. Satisfaction with programs and social support were associated with decreased perceived stress and symptoms of depression. Program satisfaction was observed to have more associations with decreased perceived stress and symptoms of depression than program use.
Conclusions: Results reveal that organizational resources and social support can mitigate mental health risks among farmers. This study highlighted an opportunity for future investigation of social connectedness in addressing farmers' mental health.
Keywords: Farmers; cooperatives; organizational resources; perceived stress; symptoms of depression.