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Farmers Face A Lot Of Stress. Now There's An App For That

Farmer Matthew Goedeke in his truck using OSF SilverCloud smart phone app
OSF HealthCare
Farmer Matthew Goedeke in his truck using OSF SilverCloud smart phone app

Farming can be a lonely job. That isolation can take a toll on mental health.

OSF Behavioral Health Manager Luke Raymond said farmers face more stress due to pressure to maintain the family farm and economic factors like poor weather and uncertainty in the market. In rural areas, farmers have less access to resources to help them work through issues. 

“There are higher rates of depression, suicide and anxiety among that population," Raymond said.

A 2014 study from the University of Iowa suggests farmers have a suicide rate 3.5 times the average population. 

Raymond said farmers are generally encouraged to remain “strong” through adversity, and are less likely to seek help for their mental health as a result. 

OSF developed a free website and app called SilverCloud to help people assess their mental health and develop better coping strategies. Users go through a number of modules and assessments. The modules usually only take a few minutes to complete. 

While the app and website are not aimed at people who are in the agriculture field, some farmers have found it helpful for managing stress and anxiety. Drew DeSutter is a farmer in Knox County who uses the app. He said OSF SilverCloud has helped him think about things stressing him out differently and let him know he’s not alone in his struggles. 

DeSutter said he’s found the app beneficial in working through issues. 

“I think my home life has been a little bit better, a bit more present, a little bit less stressed from the day-to-day grind and able to look at things a little bit differently," he said. 

SilverCloud can also refer people to mental health resources. It can be used even if a person is not an OSF patient. 

Click here to learn more about OSF SilverCloud.

Copyright 2021 WCBU. To see more, visit WCBU.

Farmers Face A Lot Of Stress. Now There's An App For That

Tim Shelley is the News Director at WCBU Peoria Public Radio.