Growing Resilience in Tough Times (GRITT): Development and Randomized Trial of a Farmer Mental Health Literacy...

Farmers in the United States (U.S.) are exposed to myriad stressors and experience their negative effects, including higher rates of suicide than individuals in some other occupations. However, interventions to address mental health amongst farmers have faced barriers, such as farmers' perceived stigma regarding mental health, time constraints, and geographical isolation. Using text-messaging for intervention delivery may help to address some barriers, as text messages are private, delivered directly to one's phone, and require no travel. Our objective was to develop and assess the feasibility, acceptability, and initial efficacy of a text-messaging mental health literacy intervention tailored to U.S. farmers: Growing Resiliency in Tough Times (GRITT).

U.S. farmers (N = 134) were randomly assigned to an intervention group, who received 12 weeks of text messages regarding mental health literacy, or a control group, who received no treatment. Online pre-test and post-test surveys assessed mental health knowledge, familiarity with relevant mental health resources, self-efficacy to manage stress, and perceived stress. Feasibility was assessed via recruitment and retention data, and intervention group participants completed post-test measures to assess acceptability.

Results indicate that intervention group participants were highly satisfied with the intervention and had higher post-test scores on multiple facets of mental health literacy and self-efficacy to manage farm stress than control group participants. The intervention group experienced a significant drop in perceived stress from pre-test to post-test. Participant retention was relatively high (84%). However, recruitment difficulties call into question intervention feasibility.

Though the intervention was efficacious in enhancing mental health literacy, improving stress management self-efficacy, and reducing stress, difficulties with participant recruitment indicate the need for continued intervention research in this context.