Preferred Sources and Senders of Mental Health Information Among FFA Youth Residing on Farms

Introduction Agricultural youth may be at greater risk for poor mental health than their non-farm counterparts. While mental health resources exist for agricultural populations, they are typically adult-focused and not tailored to the needs of youth. Additionally, the preferred sources and modes for mental health information among agricultural youth are not well known. The objective of this pilot study is to identify the sources of mental health information of most interest among agricultural youth and the methods of which they prefer mental health information.Methods A cross-sectional survey using a short questionnaire was administered to youth (ages 14–18) attending the National FFA Convention. A convenience sample of convention attendees completed a paper-based or online survey measuring demographics, preferred mental health information sources, and mental health information delivery modes. Descriptive statistics and independent samples t-tests were used to examine the research question.Results Of 386 youth surveyed (mean age = 16.13, SD = 1.15), nearly half (46.89%) reported living on a farm or ranch at least 50% of the time. Compared to their non-farm-residing peers, farm-residing youth were significantly less interested in receiving mental health information from medical doctors (p = .019) and mental health specialists (p < .001). Among farm-residing youth, females showed significantly greater interest than males in receiving information from teachers (p = .040), sport coaches (p = .034), spiritual leaders (p = .039), medical doctors (p = .009), and mental health specialists (p = .005).Discussion Results from this study suggest youth who live on farms might be more interested in receiving mental health information from youth leaders and spiritual coaches than individuals in more traditional medical roles. Additional research should examine whether this is due to preferences or barriers to accessing more traditional mental health services in agricultural communities. These findings can inform the development of mental health programming for agricultural youth.