Mental health concerns and resources for ag producers and rural Kansans

Mental health stresses for ag producers and rural Kansans: Coping, concerns and finding help Ag news Stop, Look and Listen: Kansas commentary

00:01:29 – Mental Health Stresses for Producers and Rural Kansans : In that May is National Mental Health Awareness Month, K-State behavioral health specialist Brad Dirks discusses the stresses on agricultural producers and rural Kansans in general, which he says were amplified by the pandemic:  as a health professional with a background in Kansas farm life, he talks about the stress that he's seeing in rural areas currently, and the degree to which people are coping with that. He also points to concerns about the lack of mental health services in more remote locations in the state, and a K-State Research and Extension initiative to help bridge that gap.

00:23:02 – Ag News: Eric Atkinson covers the day's agricultural news headlines.

00:31:24 – Stop, Look and Listen: K-State's Gus van der Hoeven presents "Stop, Look and Listen," his weekly commentary on life in rural Kansas.

Send comments, questions or requests for copies of past programs to [email protected].

Agriculture Today is a daily program featuring Kansas State University agricultural specialists and other experts examining ag issues facing Kansas and the nation. It is hosted by Eric Atkinson and distributed to radio stations throughout Kansas and as a daily podcast.

K‑State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well‑being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K‑State campus in Manhattan.