October 10 is World Mental Health Day!

In 2019, 970 million people worldwide lived with a mental disorder¹ (approximately 12% of the world’s population). In the United States, more than 1 in 5 adults live with a mental illness.² This year’s theme for World Mental Health Day is “Access to Services- Mental Health in Catastrophes and Emergencies”. The most common mental illnesses attributed to experiencing a catastrophe or disaster are anxiety, depression, substance use, and post-traumatic stress disorder, with prevalence ranging anywhere from 5.8% to 87.6%.³

UNH Extension provides mental health awareness training through the A.I.D. (Awareness, Interaction, and Direction) program, as well as Mental Health First Aid. We’ve trained staff and community partners who work with populations vulnerable to climate catastrophes, such as farmers. These staff and partners are better prepared to recognize and respond to signs of mental distress. 

The Farm Strong NH program provided much needed funding and support to address stress and mental health challenges to farmers. Though federal funding has ended, UNH Extension staff worked with state government leaders to allocate funds in the state budget for farmers to receive mental health support and services. 

The last 5 years, farmers in the northeast have been in a perpetual state of disaster recovery with the 2023 season being the wettest year on record, followed by our driest year on record in 2025. These extreme swings in precipitation as well historic spring killing frosts affecting fruit crops bring additional stressors to farmers and land managers as they work to generate a profitable business off their lands. Not only do these new weather patterns cause crop losses or diminished yields they require more effort from farmers to maintain their yields, and put additional stressors on a high stress profession.

Call to Action:

• Take a mental health awareness training to learn how you can support someone in crisis:
  • A.I.D.: https://extension.unh.edu/health-well-being/programs/aid-awarenessinteractiondirection-mental-health-awareness-training
  • Mental Health First Aid: https://extension.unh.edu/health-well-being/programs/mental-health-first-aidr
• Check out the World Federation for Mental Health’s toolkit about working with people affected by disasters and emergencies.
• Get involved in the NH Disaster Behavioral Health Response Team! Learn more here: https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/programs-services/emergency-preparedness-response-recovery/disaster-behavioral-health

Resources