Farmers are People: A Revolutionary Insight into Farmer Suicide Risk
Many sources suggest that, in effect, farmers are not people. They say farmers have different risks for depression, anxiety, and suicide than everybody else. Lanie Doerr, licensed professional counselor and former farmer, disagrees. She says farmers are people with the same basic, personal risk factors as the general population. This is a game changer and a source of hope. Provocative with original ideas, this book paves the way for improving the health of farmers, ranchers, and their families.
The author shares some of her own experiences as a farmer and provides professional, psychological insight as a mental health therapist. She challenges and discredits the widely-held belief that farmer suicide is due to the business problems of farming like extreme weather, high land prices, and low grain prices. She provides a more accurate description of the problem that includes this concept - the business problems of farming can lead to the same personal problems that are the actual risks for suicide and depression among all people. The good news is that this opens the door for many effective strategies to improve health and reduce the risk of suicide.
