Farmers and farmworkers consistently report high levels of stress associated with commodity production and rural living. The culmination of rural living, farm work, and stress is associated with elevated rates of suicide in farming occupations. A mutual partnership was created between the UK Cooperative Extension Service and the UK College of Nursing to develop the BARN Farm Camp and Dinner Theater on mental wellness and suicide prevention in response to farmer stress and suicide. UK Cooperative Extension agents from Logan and Warren Counties recruited high school youth to participate in the first Barn Camp and Dinner Theater for Mental Wellness conducted in July 2021.

Approximately 17 youth attended the BARN camp and worked with extension specialists and county agents to address mental wellness and suicide in their community. The youth learned about mental wellness, stress, and coping skills during the camp, and Dr. Julie Marfell and Dr. LeeAnne Walmsley taught them to use QPR, an evidence-based suicide prevention program. Camp participants demonstrated statistically significant increases in knowledge for mental health and wellness; recognition of stress, anxiety, and depression; understanding the steps of QPR for suicide prevention; knowledge of self-care activities; understand the importance of working with others; use of story telling to improve mental health and wellness for suicide prevention; and understand the links between improve mental wellness and suicide prevention. Further, the camp participants indicated 100% intention to acknowledge and tell someone about their stress; utilize self-care; identify their strengths and growth areas set clear goals; use QPR; and commit to helping others with their mental wellness. All the camp participants “strongly agreed” that the camp information was practical and that learned lessons were implementable in their daily lives.

The highlight of the camp culminated in the youth delivering the BARN Dinner Theater on Mental Wellness. The youth worked with UK extension agents, UK College of Nursing faculty, and community members to develop all aspects of the BARN dinner theater, which 149 community members from Logan and Warren counties attended. Of the 149 dinner theater participants, 118 participants showed statistically significant increases in knowledge and understanding regarding self-care; mental wellness, the effects of stress; suicide as an important topic in their community; the need to talk about stress with family or friends; and reaching out to someone if feeling hopeless or having suicidal thoughts. Likewise, theater participants demonstrated statistically significant increases in behavioral intention regarding use of self-care to improve mental wellness; seeking resources to prevent suicide; talking and asking family and friends about their stress; telling someone if their having suicidal thoughts; and using examples from the dinner theater to handle their stress.

Dinner theater participants left a total of 81 comments regarding take home messages and additional positive feedback. The majority of key take home messages reported by participants included the importance of talking about stress, taking care of themselves and seeking help from family and friends. Additionally, participants indicated that the dinner theater was a great program and expressed a desire to receive more information about QPR.