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American Soybean Association to launch mental health campaign
The American Soybean Association (ASA) is launching a campaign
to help farmers stay mentally healthy while dealing with COVID-19 and other
farm hardships. Farmers are frequently segregated naturally but are currently not
able to attend events where they’d be close to others, said Kevin Scott, vice president
of the ASA.
“Along with the planting stress, we also have the social stress of not being
able to physically visit with people,” Scott told Brownfield Ag News Thursday.
The ASA’s COVID-19 Task Force conducted a survey indicating stress among
farmers is high. Scott, who farms in southeastern South Dakota, felt it personally
when his grandchild was born six weeks prematurely and he could only wait in the
hospital parking lot for word that the child was doing ok.
“I still haven’t seen that grandchild and it’s been four weeks,” said an
emotional Scott, “so yeah, COVID kind of affects you.”
The #SoyHelp campaign will include social media posts throughout May Mental Health
Month as well as expert advice on farm stress and seeking emotional support.
“Emotional struggles are not one-size-fits-all,” said Wendy Brannen, ASA Sr.
Director of Marketing & Communications. “Our team has researched resources
to accommodate an array of individuals and their needs, and how they or their
families can seek qualified help – and we are hopeful this campaign can melt
away a bit of the stigma that sometimes still exists in talking openly about
the tolls of stress and seeking help.”
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