The Burden of Farmer Suicide on Surviving Family Members: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

The purpose of this descriptive qualitative study was to better understand the burden of farmer suicide on surviving family members. Themes included: (1) family members expressed guilt; (2) family members experienced symptoms of psychological distress; (3) family members felt attached to the land and chose to remain on the farm; (4) short-term coping mechanisms included family, friends and faith; (5) long-term coping mechanisms included acts of honoring their loved one; (6) there was a lack of awareness of community support resources following the suicide.

Acknowledgment

The authors acknowledge the assistance of Dr. Deborah Reed, PhD, MSPH, RN, FAAOHN, FAAN Professor, School of Nursing, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA, and Dr. Matthew L. Hunt, Ed.D. District Director, Barren River District Health Department, Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.