Evaluating Mental Health First Aid for Illinois Agricultural Communities

Introduction. Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) was created to teach individuals how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders. Programs like this may be essential for agricultural communities where suicide rates have increased, and mental health stigma has been a barrier to this population. This study evaluated how effective MHFA and Youth MHFA were for participants from agricultural communities. Methods. Participants completed the MHFA (N = 38) and Youth MHFA (N = 66) programs in 2021-2022, and Extension educators offered both programs as a part of outreach efforts within agricultural contexts. Participants completed pre-, post-, and post-only evaluations as standardized by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. Results. After completing the MHFA and Youth MHFA training, participants increased their knowledge, confidence, and skills in various mental health topics. This includes early indicators of mental health challenges, the ability to have supportive conversations, and how to provide resources to others. For example, most participants felt they became more knowledgeable about MHFA (69%) and the ability to recognize the signs and symptoms of mental health or substance use challenges (65%). Conclusion. This research has implications for supporting agricultural workers through additional mental health training, managing farm stress, and understanding mental health stigma within this community.