Associations between Support Gaps and Agricultural Stress

Farmers experience high levels of stress, which may be alleviated by the receipt of social support. However, people do not always receive the amount of support they desire, potentially resulting in negative consequences. In the present study, we examine associations between U.S. farmers' (N = 130) experiences of informational and emotional support gaps and dimensions of perceived stress related to their occupation. Gaps in informational support were positively associated with farmers' reports of general perceived stress as well as stress due to time pressures. Emotional support gaps were negatively associated with stress due to economic and climatic conditions.