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. The BARN (Bringing Awareness Right Now): Farm Dinner Theater was developed as a strategy to address and explore the difficult topics of mental health and suicide within a rural community. 

University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension agents from Harrison County recruited 17 youth participants to experience the BARN Workshop and produce the Farm Dinner Theater to increase awareness and gain tools regarding mental well-being and suicide in their community. All youth participants learned to recognize and understand how to handle stress, identify mental health stigmas, and discover personal skills through activity and discussion-based instruction. Following this instruction the youth participants were trained and certified in QPR (Question, Persuade, and Refer), an evidence-based suicide prevention program. The youth participants worked with UK Extension staff and community members to develop all aspects of the Farm Dinner Theater from script writing, set design and performance, which 123 community members from Harrison County attended.

Youth participants were surveyed on their workshop experience and showed statistically significant increases in knowledge and understanding regarding self-care; mental well-being; the effects of stress; and suicide as an important topic in their community. All the workshop participants “strongly agreed” that the workshop information was practical and lessons that were learned are implementable in their daily lives.

Similarly, survey results from theater attendees indicated statistically significant increases in behavioral intention regarding use of self-care to improve mental well-being; seeking resources to prevent suicide; talking and asking family and friends about their stress; telling someone if they’re having suicidal thoughts; and using examples from the dinner theater to handle their stress. 

Many 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.