Suicide and School-based Agricultural Education in the Southern Region – A Multistate Exploratory Study
Keywords:
School-Based Agricultural Education (SBAE), Mental Health, Crisis Management, Suicide Prevention, Agricultural Educator, Protocol Awareness, Professional DevelopmentAbstract
This study explored suicide exposure, awareness of warning signs and farm stressors, and related professional development (PD) experiences of school-based agricultural education (SBAE) teachers (N = 793) in the southern region of the United States. Most professional exposure to suicide involved students in a teacher’s school, but not in their classrooms; most personal exposure to suicide involved acquaintances. SBAE teachers recognized most warning signs and farm stressors; however, females, teachers who were more exposed to suicide in the professional setting, and teachers who were more aware of farm stressors were more likely to be aware of warning signs. SBAE teachers recognized most farm stressors; however, teachers from urban areas, teachers who were more exposed to suicide in personal settings, and teachers more aware of warning signs were more likely recognize farm stressors. Most SBAE teachers had attended suicide-related PD. While most who had not attended suicide-related PD indicated they were willing to attend, females, teachers with less teaching experience, teachers who were not previously offered PD, and teachers who were more exposed to suicide in personal settings were more willing to attend. This work was supported by the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network, project award no. 2023-70028-41286, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
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