Suicide mortality rates in farm‐related occupations and the agriculture industry in the United States

Abstract

Background: Studies suggest that agricultural workers and rural residents may have an elevated suicide risk. However, suicide is relatively rare, and rural and farming populations have significantly declined, limiting their representation in national surveys. Many studies have inadequate samples for meaningful analysis.Methods: We pooled 29 years of data from the Mortality-Linked National Health Interview Survey, 1986-2014, then measured suicide mortality in groups including agriculture workers, and variation in suicide across rural and urban areas. Exposure variables indicated whether participants worked in a farm-related occupation or industry, or lived in a rural area. We used survey-weighted Poisson regression to estimate suicide mortality rates and rate ratios.Results: Age-adjusted suicide mortality rate per 100,000 was: 22.3 for farmers and farm managers; 21.6 for farmworkers; 28.7 in farming, forestry, and fishing; 15.3 across all other occupations; 16.1 among rural residents. Among farmworkers, age-adjusted rates were 28.3 in rural areas, 17.1 in urban areas (not significantly different). The age-adjusted suicide mortality rate ratio (RR) comparing workers in the agriculture, forestry, and fishery industries to those in all other industries was 1.34 (95% confidence interval, [CI]: 1.05-1.72) (not statistically significant after further adjustment for demographic characteristics). Age-adjusted results were consistent with a higher suicide risk for workers in forestry and fishing than in all other occupations (RR: 1.88, 95% CI: 0.79-4.46). Conclusion:Workers in agriculture, forestry, and fishing may have an elevated suicide risk. National surveys should consider oversampling of rural residents, who have increased morbidity and mortality risks.

Farmer suicides among states reporting violent deaths, 2003–2017.

“…By contrast, the elevated suicide rates using “primary” male farmers in our denominator are analogous to the rates of U.S. males and align with prior research. Moreover, the rates estimated by Arif et al (2021) were comparable to “primary” male farmer suicide rates reported in this study, which potentially resulted from disaggregating farmers from farmworkers in that study.…”

“…Further, the rates for farm managers were higher than construction and extraction occupations during 2012 but 49% lower for 2015. Arif et al (2021), however, documented higher modeled rate estimates for farmworkers (28.7 per 100,000) than for farmers (22.3/100,000); farm managers (21.6/100,000); and farming, fishing, and forestry (15.3/100,000) occupations.…”

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“…(Key & Lyons, 2019), and difficulties in accessing land (Ahearn, 2011). Reports suggest a prevalence of depression, anxiety, and suicide among U.S. farmers (Arif et al, 2021;Wedell et al, 2020;Weingarten, 2018); minimal literature exists concerning beginner farmers' well-being.…”

"The farm has an insatiable appetite": A food justice approach to understanding beginning farmer stress

“…Beginning farmers (i.e., those farming for 10 years or less; U.S. Department of Agriculture [USDA] Economic Research Service [ERS], 2022) face unique start-up challenges, including reliance on off-farm income, high debt-to-asset ratios (Key & Lyons, 2019), and difficulties in accessing land (Ahearn, 2011). Reports suggest a prevalence of depression, anxiety, and suicide among U.S. farmers (Arif et al, 2021;Wedell et al, 2020;Weingarten, 2018); minimal literature exists concerning beginner farmers' well-being.…”