Dr. Kim Link Co-director of the WKU Institute for Rural Health, and a faculty member of the WKU School of Nursing and Allied Health, is working on a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) funded grant. In collaboration with colleague Dr. Melinda Ickes from the University of Kentucky, the project is titled Building Bridges to Farmer Mental Health.

Building Bridges to Farmer Mental Health seeks to address farmer stress, decrease mental health challenges, and reduce mental health access barriers among Kentucky’s farmers and rural communities by implementing community partnerships and training Mental Health Advocates.  

Barriers and challenges include:

• Farmers frequently experience uncontrollable stress like machinery breakdown, hazardous work conditions, crop and livestock disease, and commodity market fluctuations.  
• The accumulation of stress can lead farmers to experience maladaptive coping mechanisms, symptoms of anxiety and depression, and suicidal behaviors.  
• Farmers, specifically in the Southeast, consistently report a lack of resources for mental health and well-being as a barrier to health and wellbeing.  
• In Kentucky, a largely rural state known for farming, more than 45% of adults reported experiencing symptoms of anxiety or depression, while Kentucky’s suicide rates are 17% higher than national rates. Consequently, 3.2 million Kentuckians reside in a community with inadequate access to mental healthcare.  

Link will serve as a clinical expert and provide expertise in mental health counseling and suicide prevention throughout the project period. She will support efforts to engage mental health advocates and reach farmers in western Kentucky. Link will collaborate with the development team on training materials and provide clinical support as needed for program participants.

Link said, “I am thrilled to be a part of this important project that is focused on improving the mental health of farmers who play a vital role in our community.”

For more information on the WKU Institute for Rural Health, please contact Dr. Kim Link at kim.link@wku.edu, or visit our website: https://www.wku.edu/irh/