Keywords
rural stress; farmer stress; mental health; Extension; qualitative
Abstract
This was a qualitative, exploratory study examining the use of a word cloud activity with Extension agents to promote dialogue around the sensitive topic of farmer/rural stress to understand their community needs. With an increasing amount of health-related issues in rural America and abroad, particularly mental health and rural stress, the use of a word cloud activity helped identify individual regional needs through a visual thematic qualitative analysis. Through a constant comparative analysis, regional and state-wide themes were deduced to begin creating programming opportunities to address community needs in Georgia, the U.S., and the world. The identified themes indicated a need for support, resources and education in rural areas regarding farmer and rural stress.
Recommended Citation
Wilson, M. C.,
Stone, W. A.,
Holt, J. A.,
Lamm, K. W.,
Borron, A. S.,
&
Lamm, A. J.
(2019).
Extension’s Role in Rural Stress: An Evaluation of Extension Agents’ Perceptions of Rural Stress in Georgia.
Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education, 26(3), 27-42.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5191/jiaee.2019.26302
