(NAFB) – May has come and gone, but that does not mean the issue of mental health is done for another year.

The farming community used May, which is National Mental Health Awareness Month, to highlight the growing challenges of mental health struggles in the farming community.  Josie Rudolphi with the University of Illinois says the frequency of anxiety and depression is higher among the agriculture community than in the non-farming community.

Rudolphi says there are many pressures impacting today’s farmer, from personal finances, global economic issues such as trade, time pressures, and not to mention interpersonal relationships on and off the farm. She adds that as friends and family, it’s important to watch for changes in behavior.

Rudolphi adds that it’s vital for the farming community to remove the stigma of mental health and asking for help. She added a recent study shows as many of 31 percent of rural adults have personally sought help for a mental health condition, and 24 percent have a family member who has sought care for a mental health condition.