PA Livestock Operator Mental Wellness Survey

There’s no doubt that the mental challenges that a farmer can face in any given day or any given season can weigh heavily on your well-being. Please consider completing this short survey to help us begin a conversation around mental health and what it means for Pennsylvania livestock producers. Our goal is to normalize the discussion so more individuals will feel empowered to ask for help before it is too late.

This survey is about mental health in the agribusiness industry. Filling out this confidential and anonymous survey with candid answers will help this organization to provide the best resources and information that is needed revolving around mental health and stress within Pennsylvania agriculture. Please answer the questions and submit your response by January 31, 2022.

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* 1. How important is mental health to you, your family, and employees?

Very important

Moderately important

Somewhat Important

Not Important

Don't Know

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* 2. Have you or someone within your farm experienced any of the
following over the last year? (Check all that apply)

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* 3. Please indicate to what extent you agree that each of these impacts the mental health of you and those within your farm business? (Check box that applies)

	Great Extent	Moderate Extent	Some Extent	No Extent	Not Sure
Financial Issues	Financial Issues Great Extent	Financial Issues Moderate Extent	Financial Issues Some Extent	Financial Issues No Extent	Financial Issues Not Sure
Fear of losing the farm	Fear of losing the farm Great Extent	Fear of losing the farm Moderate Extent	Fear of losing the farm Some Extent	Fear of losing the farm No Extent	Fear of losing the farm Not Sure
Uncertain future	Uncertain future Great Extent	Uncertain future Moderate Extent	Uncertain future Some Extent	Uncertain future No Extent	Uncertain future Not Sure
Farm/business issues	Farm/business issues Great Extent	Farm/business issues Moderate Extent	Farm/business issues Some Extent	Farm/business issues No Extent	Farm/business issues Not Sure
Weather or other factors beyond control	Weather or other factors beyond control Great Extent	Weather or other factors beyond control Moderate Extent	Weather or other factors beyond control Some Extent	Weather or other factors beyond control No Extent	Weather or other factors beyond control Not Sure
Hours of labor	Hours of labor Great Extent	Hours of labor Moderate Extent	Hours of labor Some Extent	Hours of labor No Extent	Hours of labor Not Sure
Lack of workers	Lack of workers Great Extent	Lack of workers Moderate Extent	Lack of workers Some Extent	Lack of workers No Extent	Lack of workers Not Sure
Health issues	Health issues Great Extent	Health issues Moderate Extent	Health issues Some Extent	Health issues No Extent	Health issues Not Sure
Social Isolation	Social Isolation Great Extent	Social Isolation Moderate Extent	Social Isolation Some Extent	Social Isolation No Extent	Social Isolation Not Sure
Stigma about mental health issues	Stigma about mental health issues Great Extent	Stigma about mental health issues Moderate Extent	Stigma about mental health issues Some Extent	Stigma about mental health issues No Extent	Stigma about mental health issues Not Sure
Spouse or Partner Relationship issues	Spouse or Partner Relationship issues Great Extent	Spouse or Partner Relationship issues Moderate Extent	Spouse or Partner Relationship issues Some Extent	Spouse or Partner Relationship issues No Extent	Spouse or Partner Relationship issues Not Sure
Farm Family Dynamics	Farm Family Dynamics Great Extent	Farm Family Dynamics Moderate Extent	Farm Family Dynamics Some Extent	Farm Family Dynamics No Extent	Farm Family Dynamics Not Sure
The Covid Pandemic	The Covid Pandemic Great Extent	The Covid Pandemic Moderate Extent	The Covid Pandemic Some Extent	The Covid Pandemic No Extent	The Covid Pandemic Not Sure

Question Title

* 4. Pick the top three issues from the list below that you believe are having the greatest impact on the mental health of your farm family and farm employees you are working with in your business

Farm Financial Stress and Uncertainty

Long Hours and Stressful Working Conditions

Weather and Other Forces Out of Their Control

Labor Shortages and Other Employee Issues

Fear of Losing farm

Physical Health and Medical Issues

Farm Transition Issues

Farm Family Dynamics & Relationships

Spouse or Partner Relationships

Non-farm Related Stressors (Political, Social, Etc.)

Question Title

* 5. Who have you talked with in the past year about any of the above issues? (Check all that apply)

Spouse

Family Members

Friends

Church/Pastor

Community Mental Health

Private Counselor

Telehealth

Primary Doctor

Agribusiness employees (milk testers, milk truck drivers, feed salesman, equipment salesman, etc)

Veterinarian

N/A

Question Title

* 6. How confident are you, that you would be able to spot the warning signs of a mental health condition in an immediate family member/employee/ fellow agriculture producer/another member of the ag community?

Very confident

Moderately confident

Somewhat confident

Not at all confident

Don't know

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* 7. How confident are you able to respond to someone having a mental health issue, including suicidal thoughts/ideation?

Very confident

Moderately confident

Somewhat confident

Not at all confident

Don't know

Question Title

* 8. What are the obstacles for you or someone within your farm business to seek help or treatment for a mental health condition? (Check all that apply)

Cost

Availability of Help/Treatment

Accessibility of Help/Treatment

Embarassment

Family

No obstacles

DEMOGRAPHICS

Question Title

* 9. Are you completing this survey on behalf of yourself or someone else?

Self

Spouse

Partner

Parent

Other

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* 10. Gender: Identify as

Male

Female

Other

Prefer Not to Answer

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* 11. Age

18 - 30

31 - 40

41 - 50

51 - 60

61 +

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* 12. Type of Business

Sole Proprietorship

Partnership

LLC or Corporation

Other

Prefer not to answer

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* 13. If partnership, how many partners?

4 or more

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* 14. Are non-partner family members involved in the farm?

Yes

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* 15. If so, how many family members?

2 or less

3 - 5

6 or more

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* 16. How long has farming been your occupation?

1 - 5 years

6 - 10 years

11 - 20 years

21 - 30 years

31 - 40 years

41 or more years

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* 17. Type of Livestock on Your Farm: (Mark All That Apply):

Dairy

Beef

Swine

Poultry

Small Ruminants

Other

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* 18. Total Number of Head representing All Species on Your Farm:

Less than 50

51 - 200

201 - 500

501 - 1000

1001 - 2000

More than 2000

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* 19. Region of Pennsylvania

Southwest

Northwest

Central

Southeast

Northeast

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* 20. Are there any other issues you would like us to know in regards to mental health and well being in the farming community:

This survey is being conducted through an initiative of the Center for Beef Excellence, Center for Poultry, Pennsylvania Beef Producers Working Group, and Livestock Excellence, and Center for Dairy Excellence and is funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and the USDA Farmer Rancher Network Assistance Program.

For More Information, contact:

Center for Dairy Excellence

Phone: 717-346-0849

Email: info@centerfordairyexcellence.org

	Self	Spouse	Family Member	Employee
Feeling tired/less energy	Feeling tired/less energy Self	Feeling tired/less energy Spouse	Feeling tired/less energy Family Member	Feeling tired/less energy Employee
Feeling nervous/anxious/ on edge	Feeling nervous/anxious/ on edge Self	Feeling nervous/anxious/ on edge Spouse	Feeling nervous/anxious/ on edge Family Member	Feeling nervous/anxious/ on edge Employee
Difficulty sleeping	Difficulty sleeping Self	Difficulty sleeping Spouse	Difficulty sleeping Family Member	Difficulty sleeping Employee
Little to no interest or pleasure in doing things	Little to no interest or pleasure in doing things Self	Little to no interest or pleasure in doing things Spouse	Little to no interest or pleasure in doing things Family Member	Little to no interest or pleasure in doing things Employee
Not being able to stop or control worrying	Not being able to stop or control worrying Self	Not being able to stop or control worrying Spouse	Not being able to stop or control worrying Family Member	Not being able to stop or control worrying Employee
Feelings or Sudden Outbursts of Anger and/or Frustration	Feelings or Sudden Outbursts of Anger and/or Frustration Self	Feelings or Sudden Outbursts of Anger and/or Frustration Spouse	Feelings or Sudden Outbursts of Anger and/or Frustration Family Member	Feelings or Sudden Outbursts of Anger and/or Frustration Employee
Feelings of Extreme Hopelessness	Feelings of Extreme Hopelessness Self	Feelings of Extreme Hopelessness Spouse	Feelings of Extreme Hopelessness Family Member	Feelings of Extreme Hopelessness Employee
Addiction and Substance Abuse	Addiction and Substance Abuse Self	Addiction and Substance Abuse Spouse	Addiction and Substance Abuse Family Member	Addiction and Substance Abuse Employee
Low energy	Low energy Self	Low energy Spouse	Low energy Family Member	Low energy Employee
Difficulty Concentrating	Difficulty Concentrating Self	Difficulty Concentrating Spouse	Difficulty Concentrating Family Member	Difficulty Concentrating Employee
Significant weight change/change in appetite	Significant weight change/change in appetite Self	Significant weight change/change in appetite Spouse	Significant weight change/change in appetite Family Member	Significant weight change/change in appetite Employee
Frequent thought of death or suicide	Frequent thought of death or suicide Self	Frequent thought of death or suicide Spouse	Frequent thought of death or suicide Family Member	Frequent thought of death or suicide Employee
Not caring for livestock, crops or farm as usual	Not caring for livestock, crops or farm as usual Self	Not caring for livestock, crops or farm as usual Spouse	Not caring for livestock, crops or farm as usual Family Member	Not caring for livestock, crops or farm as usual Employee
Episodes of physical violence or abuse	Episodes of physical violence or abuse Self	Episodes of physical violence or abuse Spouse	Episodes of physical violence or abuse Family Member	Episodes of physical violence or abuse Employee

PA Livestock Operator Mental Wellness Survey

Question Title

* 1. How important is mental health to you, your family, and employees?

Question Title

* 2. Have you or someone within your farm experienced any of thefollowing over the last year? (Check all that apply)

Question Title

* 3. Please indicate to what extent you agree that each of these impacts the mental health of you and those within your farm business? (Check box that applies)

Question Title

* 4. Pick the top three issues from the list below that you believe are having the greatest impact on the mental health of your farm family and farm employees you are working with in your business

Question Title

* 5. Who have you talked with in the past year about any of the above issues? (Check all that apply)

Question Title

* 6. How confident are you, that you would be able to spot the warning signs of a mental health condition in an immediate family member/employee/ fellow agriculture producer/another member of the ag community?

Question Title

* 7. How confident are you able to respond to someone having a mental health issue, including suicidal thoughts/ideation?

Question Title

* 8. What are the obstacles for you or someone within your farm business to seek help or treatment for a mental health condition? (Check all that apply)

Question Title

* 9. Are you completing this survey on behalf of yourself or someone else?

Question Title

* 10. Gender: Identify as

Question Title

* 11. Age

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* 12. Type of Business

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* 13. If partnership, how many partners?

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* 14. Are non-partner family members involved in the farm?

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* 15. If so, how many family members?

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* 16. How long has farming been your occupation?

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* 17. Type of Livestock on Your Farm: (Mark All That Apply):

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* 18. Total Number of Head representing All Species on Your Farm:

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* 19. Region of Pennsylvania

Question Title

* 20. Are there any other issues you would like us to know in regards to mental health and well being in the farming community:

* 2. Have you or someone within your farm experienced any of the
following over the last year? (Check all that apply)