
































Microsoft Word - 175 - Evaluating+Impacts+from+Natural+Weather-Related+Disasters+on+Farmers+Mental+Health+Worldwide.docx


Palmer and Strong  Advancements in Agricultural Development 
  Volume 3, Issue 1, 2022 
  agdevresearch.org 

1. Karissa Palmer, Graduate Research Fellow, Texas A&M University, 600 John Kimbrough Blvd. Suite 233A College Station, 

TX. 77843-2116, karissa.palmer@ag.tamu.edu,  https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3595-5213 
2. Robert Strong, Associate Professor, Texas A&M University, 600 John Kimbrough Blvd. Suite 267, College Station, TX. 77843-

2116, robert.strongjr@ag.tamu.edu,  https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5279-4808  
43 

 

Evaluating Impacts from Natural Weather-Related Disasters 
on Farmers Mental Health Worldwide 

 
K. Palmer 1, R. Strong 2 

 
 

  

Abstract 

This study sought to assess the mental health impacts on farmers from across the globe post-natural 
weather-related disasters. There were two objectives that guided the study: (a) determine themes 
among the literature discussing post-disaster impacts on farmers’ mental health, (b) identify 
personal characteristics that influence farmers’ mental health post-disaster. A systematic review 
revealed 29 (N = 29) publications relevant to the research objectives. Through conducting an 
extensive systematic review six themes were identified: suicide, preparedness, culture, adaption, 
sentiment, and financial hardship. There were two personal characteristics presented in the 
literature: gender and age. It was indicated that farmers' perceptions of climate change affected 
their response to lessen emotional and physical impacts. The severity of the natural disaster played a 
role in the action farmers took to restore and prepare damages not only for the land but also 
regarding their mental health. Implications of this study uncovered an opportunity for extension 
personnel to create educational resources to combat mental health impacts from natural disasters. 
Recommendations include further research be conducted to investigate the effect of new or existing 
mental health resources on a sample of farmers from across the globe. 
 
 

Keywords 

Climate change, agricultural extension systems, resiliency, food security  



Palmer and Strong  Advancements in Agricultural Development 
 

https://doi.org/10.37433/aad.v3i1.175  44 
 

Introduction and Problem Statement 
 
With the impending food crisis to consider, farmers’ resiliency to climate change needs to be a 
key attribute of sustainable agricultural systems (Rosin et al., 2013). Climate change is predicted 
to negatively impact the agricultural industry by affecting growth rates, crop productivity, 
photosynthesis, transpiration rates, and moisture (Mahato, 2014). Natural disasters are events 
with major consequences including heatwaves, landslides, droughts, forest fires, floods, 
tsunamis, and tropical cyclones (Sivakumar et al., 2005). Global occurrences of natural disasters 
began dramatically increasing in 2010 necessitating future study (Laframboise & Loko, 2012). 
 
Mental health problems following natural disaster occurrences include depression, post-
traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance use, and anxiety (Simpson et al., 2011). The two 
most cited sources regarding the mental health of farmers are financial hardships and 
inconsistent climate change (Yazd et al., 2019). Farmer mental health will worsen as droughts 
become more severe due to climate change (Howard et al., 2020). Stakeholders experience 
difficulty with reaction to climate change due to the complexities and knowledge gaps in 
understanding the effects of climate-related disasters (Kiem & Austin, 2013).  
 
Societal issues and current demands underscore the necessity for extension systems agility to 
meet individual and community needs as a trusted source of information (Harder et al., 2013). 
Extension agents who are prepared and possess professional competencies have the potential 
to make positive impacts on food security (Ganpat et al., 2016; Strong & Harder, 2011b). 
Extension agents need to develop the following competencies: communication skills, 
interpersonal skills, self-management, technical/subject matter expertise, program 
development process, and teaching abilities (Benge et al., 2011; Harder et al., 2009). Farmers 
are struggling with mental illness around the world and lack mental health care resources to 
improve their mental state (Ringgenberg et al., 2018). 
 

Theoretical and Conceptual Framework 
 
There were two theories used to frame this study the social cognitive theory (SCT) and 
resiliency theory. The SCT suggests the degree individuals attain and regulate their behavior 
through control and strengthening (Bandura, 1986). It is assumed through the SCT that 
environmental changes affect individuals. The SCT is concentrated on genetic and hormonal 
tendencies of learning that affect behavior. 
 
According to SCT, there are six things that affect behavior: reciprocal determinism, behavioral 
capability, observational learning, reinforcements, expectations, and self-efficacy (Bandura, 
1986). A person’s behavior that influences and is influenced through social and external 
environments is reciprocal determinism (Bumguardner et al., 2014). Behavioral capability is a 
person’s actual ability to execute a behavior through acquired knowledge (Bandura, 1986). The 
replication of behavior that was witnessed or observed by an individual is known as 
observational learning. Reinforcements are the internal or external responses to a person’s 



Palmer and Strong  Advancements in Agricultural Development 
 

https://doi.org/10.37433/aad.v3i1.175  45 
 

behavior that influence the probability of continuing or discontinuing a behavior. Expectations 
are the anticipated outcomes of a person’s behavior. Lastly, self-efficacy refers to an 
individual’s confidence in their ability to perform a behavior (Bandura, 1986). 
 
The resiliency theory concentrates on the positive contextual, social, and individual variables 
that interrupt the development of problem behaviors, poor mental and physical health, after 
experiencing trauma (Yeager & Dweck, 2012). Opposing to risk factors there are 
encouragement factors which include positive social, contextual, and individual variables that 
help individuals overcome trauma. Assets are positive variables like self-efficacy and self-
esteem that dwell within individuals. Resources are external variables including familial 
support, educational programs, and mentors that allow individuals to obtain information and 
apply the learned knowledge to their everyday lives. Contextual and organizational variables 
are offered through assets and resources, necessary for healthy improvement within individuals 
(Zimmerman, 2013). 
 

Purpose 
 
This international study sought to assess farmers’ mental health post-natural weather-related 
disasters using SCT and resiliency theory. Identifying impacts from across the globe can help 
extension personnel better understand the detrimental effects of natural weather-related 
disasters on farmers’ mental health, and thereby, offering agricultural extension programming 
opportunities to address farmer needs in preparation for future disasters. This study was 
guided by two objectives: (a) determine themes among the literature discussing post-disaster 
impacts on farmers’ mental health, (b) identify personal characteristics that influence farmers’ 
mental health post-disaster. 
 

Methods 
 
The mental health of farmers was assessed from 2010–2021 through the execution of a 
systematic review. Laframboise and Loko (2012) recommended the 2010 and beyond analysis 
due to the dramatic increase in the number of weather-related incidents in 2010 and 2011. 
Researchers are able to expand our existing knowledge by conducting an extensive literature 
review (Wright et al., 2007). A systematic review is a comprehensive review of existing 
literature to synthesize findings regarding the research question by following specific guidelines 
(Lee et al., 2021; Vindrola-Padros et al., 2021). The five steps to successfully complete a 
systematic review are: frame the question, identify relevant publications, assess study quality, 
summarize the evidence, and interpret findings (Khan et al., 2003). The question that guided 
the literature review was “how do natural weather-related disasters impact farmers’ mental 
health?” 
 
The researchers developed a list of keywords, step one, based on the literature and objectives 
of the study (Khan et al., 2003). The keywords were farmers and natural disasters, rural mental 
health, farmers and mental health, climate change and rural mental health, cooperative 



Palmer and Strong  Advancements in Agricultural Development 
 

https://doi.org/10.37433/aad.v3i1.175  46 
 

extension and climate change, cooperative extension and natural disasters, and farmer attitude 
and natural disaster. Researchers aimed to find relevant literature, step two, that focused on 
farmers’ mental health after a natural disaster due to the changing climate using Google 
Scholar to search for journals with titles that included the respective keywords, and a Web of 
Science reported impact factor of 1 or higher. A list of literature was established that contained 
keywords in the title and body of the literature. The list was then sorted through to determine 
which articles were appropriate regarding the research question and current society. A total of 
29 (N = 29) pieces of literature was discovered pertaining to the research objectives. There was 
a total of 27 (n = 27) journal articles analyzed from the systematic review parameters. The 
journal publications were from the following: American Journal of Public Health, Proceedings of 
the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Journal of African Economies, 
Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, Economics of Disasters and Climate Change, Climatic Change, 
Australasian Journal on Ageing, Economics and Management Australian Journal of Rural Health, 
Journal of Neurosciences in Rural Practice, Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 
Journal of Traumatic Stress, Sociologia Rurali, International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction 
Social Science and Medicine, Canadian Journal of Counselling, International Journal of 
Environmental Research and Public Health, American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 
Agriculture, Indian Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Journal of Research in 
Commerce, and Journal of Rural Studies. A total of two books (n = 2) were reviewed: Natural 
Disaster System in China, and Rural mental health: Issues, policies, and best practices. 
 
Step three (Khan et al., 2003), once an article was found, researchers determined if the article 
included keywords and included or excluded the publication from data analysis based upon: (a) 
the publication was peer reviewed; (b) keywords appeared in the title and throughout the 
article; and (c) the article must have been published between 2010 and 2021.  
 
As identified by Khan et al.’s (2013) step four, the publications that included the keywords were 
then summarized into findings. For Khan et al.’s (2013) step five, the researchers identified six 
themes for objective one and two for themes for objective two based on the systematic review. 
Themes for both objectives were identified using the SCT and resiliency theory through 
analyzing farmers’ behavior after natural weather-related disasters, by keeping in mind the 
variables that affect human behavior as mentioned previously. The summarized findings were 
organized depending on which theme they were a part of. Objective one themes were suicide, 
preparedness, culture, adaptation, sentiment, and financial hardship. Age and gender were the 
resulting themes of objective two. Researchers addressed trustworthiness of the data due to 
the frequency and number of themes produced from data analysis (Lincoln & Guba, 1985) of 
the systematic review parameters. 
 
Researchers collected data from studies around the world to assess commonalities between 
farmers (Wynn et al., 2013) from a variety of regions that experienced the effects from natural 
weather-related disasters and to ensure data transferability to similar contexts and populations 
(Khan et al., 2013; Lincoln & Guba, 1985). There were seven countries that had literature 
discussing the mental health impacts on farmers post-disaster: Australia, Canada, China, 
Greece, India, Nigeria, and the United States. Limitations to this study are that the data does 



Palmer and Strong  Advancements in Agricultural Development 
 

https://doi.org/10.37433/aad.v3i1.175  47 
 

not allow for generalizability and only allows for conclusions to be drawn from the sample 
studied in each journal article. Researchers analyzed the data to determine whether the articles 
included relevant information. Texas A&M University researchers determined the study was 
valid by assessing the criterion validity of the systematic review’s procedures.  

 
Findings 

 
Researchers identified 29 (N = 29) scholarly publications that discussed farmers' mental health 
post-natural disasters and thus, aligned with the research objectives. The findings are organized 
by objective. 
 
Objective one guided research to find recurring themes within the literature mentioning mental 
health affects post-natural weather-related disasters. Six (n = 6) themes identified from the 
literature: suicide, preparedness, culture, adaption, sentiment, and financial hardship. The 
themes are arranged below by starting with the topic that recurred the most.   
 
Suicide 
Areas with high levels of rural poverty tend to have more farmer suicides due to the occurrence 
of droughts and floods (Parida et al., 2018). In India, agriculture is reliant on the precipitation 
from monsoons, and a lack of monsoons leads to a series of droughts which increase farmer 
suicides (Singh., 2013). Suicide and depression have been linked with farmers being more 
worried about climate change (Ellis & Albrecht, 2017). In Australia male farmers between 30 
and 59 years, represent around 95% of rural suicides (Guiney, 2012). An effort to increase 
suicide literacy is a development known as SCARF (Suspect, Connect, Ask, Refer, Follow-Up) 
which is designed to improve the mental well-being of farmers (Perceval et al., 2020). Economic 
support and debt abolition were found to decrease farmer suicides as a result of climate change 
impacts (Padhy et al., 2015).  
 
Preparedness 
In a study assessing rural communities’ preparedness levels, it was found that they 
demonstrate significantly lower preparedness in comparison to urban communities (Chai et al., 
2021). Farmers are more likely to adopt earthquake disaster preparedness behaviors if they are 
trained in disaster prevention and mitigation (Lian et al., 2021). A study from Wenchuan and 
Lushan, two areas that have experienced severe earthquakes, found positive impacts on 
farmers’ happiness, life satisfaction, and general health when they were prepared for the 
disaster (Qing et al., 2021). According to the results of a study after the 2013 floods in China, 
farmers from flooded villages are more likely to purchase index insurance (Liu et al., 2019). 
Farmers check the forecast 15–20 times a day during dry seasons due to their worries about the 
weather (Ellis & Albrecht, 2017). Farmers are able to receive mental health care from their 
homes in Greece through a development known as Mobile Health Units (Peritogiannis et al., 
2017). 
 
 



Palmer and Strong  Advancements in Agricultural Development 
 

https://doi.org/10.37433/aad.v3i1.175  48 
 

Culture 
Due to China being the most populous country in the world, they are more likely to experience 
more frequent hazard impacts (Shi et al., 2016). Farmers’ cultural characteristics are known to 
prevent them from seeking help and ignore their mental health (Vayro et al., 2020). In Greece, 
rural communities lack facilities and socioeconomic status which prevents them from being 
able to access mental health care (Peritogiannis et al., 2017). Farmers make up approximately 
20% of the population in the United States who have limited access to mental health resources 
(Smalley et al., 2012). Due to the culturally inappropriate ways mental health services are 
provided, farmers resist the services because they do not want to be perceived as insane 
(Polain et al., 2011). 
 
Adaption 
In the United States Pacific Northwest, a study found no association between precipitation 
distributions and temperature change and a person's plan to adapt (Maas et al., 2020). 
Opposed to those who believe climate change is not a pressing issue, concerned farmers in 
Iowa were more enthusiastic about mitigative and adaptive strategies (Arbuckle et al., 2013). 
Weather-related disasters are strongly affecting farmers in developing countries and when it 
comes to farm management measures there is a strong relationship between farmer 
characteristics and crop input (Huang et al., 2015).  
 
Sentiment 
Interconnections have been found between mental health and climate change including the 
connection farmers have with their farm and land, the personal significance of farms being like 
home, and climate change conditions affecting farmers’ place-related mental health (Ellis & 
Albrecht, 2017). In Australia, 5 years after a bushfire, it appeared that significant anger issues 
were found in farmers (Cowlishaw et al., 2021). Within 3 months of Hurricane Irma depression, 
anxiety, and physical pain were present in farmers from the United States (Grattan et al., 2020). 
 
Financial Hardship  
In China, land expropriation has negative impacts on the health of farmers who lost their land 
due to effects on income and protection for the long term (Wang et al., 2019). A study 
conducted on two rural counties in California indicated that mental health impacts were caused 
by finances and property (Barreau et al., 2017). Droughts and floods affect economic conditions 
along with agriculture production by damaging houses, crops, properties, and mental health 
(Parida et al., 2018). 
 
The second objective determined the personal characteristics of farmers that impacted their 
mental health. Age and gender were the two personal characteristics produced from the 
systematic review.  
 
Age 
Young farmers or farmers with higher incomes are more likely to buy disaster insurance due to 
previous disaster experiences, feelings about disasters, or where they reside (Bao et al., 2021). 
A study indicated how younger farmers experiencing financial hardship and residing in remote 



Palmer and Strong  Advancements in Agricultural Development 
 

https://doi.org/10.37433/aad.v3i1.175  49 
 

areas are more likely to experience drought-related stress (Austin et al., 2018). In Nigeria, a 
study indicated that rainfall shocks impact child health significantly in the short run for weight 
and height, and height and age (Rabassa et al., 2014). Factors affecting the health of aging 
Australian farmers include respiratory disease, heat stress, solastalgia, financial hardship, 
mosquito-borne diseases, social networks, coastal regions, and remote communities (Horton et 
al., 2010). Due to long seasons of drought older farmers feel an immense sense of loss of 
success physical well-being, profit, community status, and relationships (Polain et al., 2011).  
 
Gender 
Women from 45–61 years are more able to cope with the impacts of drought without showing 
mental health effects in comparison to men (Powers et al., 2015). A major preventative for 
Manitoban male farmers is to have family support (Sturgeon & Morrissette, 2010). Individuals 
who are unemployed, women, or younger in rural communities have higher aggression rates 
post-disaster (Cowlishaw et al., 2021). Male farmers and their families in Australia are more 
likely to be affected by droughts causing an increase in suicide (Hanigan et al., 2012). 
 

Conclusions, Discussion, and Recommendations 
 
Extension personnel should consider prioritizing suicide, culture, and preparedness as major 
topics to discuss due to the literature expressing their impacts frequently. Vulnerable 
populations who are more likely to experience mental illness found in the study include aging 
farmers, women, young farmers, and geographically worse rural communities. Mental health 
resources are available to farmers; however, they are less likely to want help, or they do not 
have access (Chai et al., 2021). In each country, there are different strategies implemented to 
prepare for disaster impacts. The literature presents an abundance of research regarding 
farmers' mental health in Australia, meaning mental health may be more of a concern there 
rather than in other countries. Natural disasters may occur more frequently in Australia and 
researchers may notice the mental health concern regarding farmers after a disaster in that 
country. 
 
Farmers are more likely to seek help from their support system which relates to the reciprocal 
determinism concept (Bandura, 1986). Behavioral capability was presented through farmers' 
attitudes toward mitigating negative impacts and the potential for future climate change-
related disasters. The way farmers perceive climate change influences their response to 
mitigate future emotional and physical impacts (Bandura, 1986; Coppedge & Strong, 2013). It 
can be inferred that the cultural characteristics of farmers would be more efficacious (Bandura, 
1986; Wynn et al. 2013) in response, preparation, and recovery after a natural disaster.  
 
Geographical locations that struggle with rural poverty experience more suicides meaning 
fewer programs focused on farmer resiliency post-disaster (Zimmerman, 2013). Global 
extension systems must play an active role in mitigating natural weather-related disaster 
impacts while keeping in mind the impending food crisis. Without the communication and 
strategic planning by extension systems, consumers would be unaware of the food security 



Palmer and Strong  Advancements in Agricultural Development 
 

https://doi.org/10.37433/aad.v3i1.175  50 
 

issue facing our world. The capacity of farmers and extension personnel needs to be enhanced 
to combat natural weather-related disaster impacts. More specifically, extension agents should 
undergo training to increase their competencies (Harder et al., 2013) about the mental health 
of farmers post-disaster. When farmers are experiencing good mental health food security is 
more likely to be achieved through resilient and sustainable agriculture. There is an abundance 
of existing literature that discusses the mental health of farmers; however, extension systems 
should continue researching to discover ways to improve rural mental health and mental health 
services available to farmers.  
 
Research in the future should consist of an experimental design that investigates the 
effectiveness of a mental health program among a sample of farmers from around the world. In 
conducting an experiment, the results may reveal opportunities (Strong & Harder, 2011a) for 
extension personnel to understand how to better prevent farmers from experiencing the 
stressors expressed in this study. Farmers’ mental health is a global issue and a detriment to 
agricultural development. Health professionals and agricultural extension professionals from 
around the globe should collaborate and determine the best strategies for combating mental 
illness among farmers. Farmers’ perceptions about climate change affect the likelihood of 
implementing successful adaptive strategies (Yeager & Dweck, 2012). Disseminating accurate 
and accessible information is necessary for farmers to become motivated to adopt preventive 
strategies (Bandura, 1986) to combat mental illness.  
 
The SCT and resiliency theory were useful in determining farmers’ behavior regarding natural 
weather-related disasters and mental illness prevention. The findings indicated that farmers’ 
behavior was influenced through their external environment, such as areas with higher levels of 
poverty (Parida et al., 2018), level of preparedness (Chai et al., 2021), lack of facilities and 
socioeconomic status (Peritogiannis et al., 2017), or prior disaster experience (Liu et al., 2019). 
It was also indicated that farmers’ self-efficacy toward mental health care was low due to the 
abundance of suicide occurrences mentioned in the literature. Farmers are more resilient when 
trained in disaster prevention and mitigation (Lian et al., 2021) or when they were more 
concerned with the negative impacts from climate change (Arbuckle et al., 2013). 
 

Acknowledgements 
 
This study was supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Hatch 
Project #TEX09890 “The Adoption Impact of Food and Agricultural Sciences Curricula on Public 
Health.” This respective Hatch Project and the research contained in this article aligns with the 
USDA Critical Issue “Connecting Agriculture and Health (1862).” The authors wish to express 
their gratitude to the USDA NIFA for supporting their research. 
 

 
 
 



Palmer and Strong  Advancements in Agricultural Development 
 

https://doi.org/10.37433/aad.v3i1.175  51 
 

References 
 

Arbuckle, J. G., Morton, L. W., & Hobbs, J. (2013). Farmer beliefs and concerns about climate 
change and attitudes toward adaptation and mitigation: Evidence from Iowa. Climatic 
Change, 118(3-4), 551–563. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-013-0700-0    

 
Austin, E. K., Handley, T., Kiem, A. S., Rich, J. L., Lewin, T. J., Askland, H. H., Askarimarnani, S. S., 

Perkins, D. A., & Kelly, B. J. (2018). Drought-related stress among farmers: Findings from 
the Australian Rural Mental Health Study. The Medical Journal of Australia, 209(4), 159–
165. https://doi.org/10.5694/mja17.01200  

 
Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory. 

Prentice–Hall. 
 
Bao, X., Zhang, F., Deng, X., & Xu, D. (2021). Can trust motivate farmers to purchase natural 

disaster insurance? Evidence from earthquake-stricken areas of Sichuan, China. 
Agriculture, 11(8), 783. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11080783   

 
Barreau, T., Conway, D., Haught, K., Jackson, R., Kreutzer, R., Lockman, A., Minnick, S., Roisman, 

R., Rozell, D., Smorodinsky, S., Tafoya, D., & Wilken, J. A. (2017). Physical, mental, and 
financial impacts from drought in two California counties, 2015. American Journal of 
Public Health, 107(5), 783–790. https://doi.org/10.2105/ajph.2017.303695  

 
Benge, M., Harder, A., & Carter, H. (2011). Necessary pre-entry competencies as perceived by 

Florida extension agents. Journal of Extension, 49(5), 1–11. 
https://archives.joe.org/joe/2011october/a2.php  

 
Bumguardner, K. M., Strong, R., Murphrey, T. P., & Dooley, L. M. (2014). Examining the blogging 

habits of agricultural leadership students: Understanding motivation, use, and self-
efficacy. Journal of Agricultural Education, 55(3), 32–42. 
https://doi.org/10.5032/jae.2014.03032  

 
Chai, L., Han, Y., Han, Z., Wei, J., & Zhao, Y. (2021). Differences in disaster preparedness 

between urban and rural communities in China. International Journal of Disaster Risk 
Reduction, 53, 102020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2020.102020  

 
Coppedge, R. H., & Strong, R. (2013). Vocational programs in the Federal Bureau of Prisons: 

Examining the potential of agricultural education programs for prisoners. Journal of 
Agricultural Education, 54(3), 116–125. https://doi.org/10.5032/jae.2013.03116  

 
 
 



Palmer and Strong  Advancements in Agricultural Development 
 

https://doi.org/10.37433/aad.v3i1.175  52 
 

Cowlishaw, S., Metcalf, O., Varker, T., Stone, C., Molyneaux, R., Gibbs, L., Block, K., Harms, L., 
MacDougall, C., Gallagher, H.C., Bryant, R., Lawrence-Wood, E., Kellett, C., O'Donnell, M. 
& Forbes, D. (2021). Anger dimensions and mental health following a disaster: 
Distribution and implications after a major bushfire. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 34(1), 
46–55. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.22616   

 
Ellis, N. R., & Albrecht, G. A. (2017). Climate change threats to family farmers' sense of place 

and mental wellbeing: A case study from the Western Australian Wheatbelt. Social 
Science & Medicine, 175, 161–168. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2017.01.009  

 
Ganpat, W. G., Ramjattan, J., & Strong, R. (2016). Factors influencing self-efficacy and adoption 

of ICT dissemination tools by new extension officers. Journal of International 
Agricultural and Extension Education, 23(1), 1–13. 
https://doi.org/10.5191/jiaee.2016.23106   

 
Grattan, L. M., Lindsay, A., Liang, Y., Kilmon, K. A., Cohen, S., Irani, T., & Morris, J. G. (2020). The 

short-and long-term impacts of hurricane Irma on Florida agricultural Leaders as early 
emergency responders: The importance of workplace stability. International Journal of 
Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(3), 1050. 
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17031050  

 
Guiney, R. (2012). Farming suicides during the Victorian drought: 2001–2007. Australian Journal 

of Rural Health, 20(1), 11–15. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1440-1584.2011.01244.x  
 
Hanigan, I. C., Butler, C. D., Kokic, P. N., & Hutchinson, M. F. (2012). Suicide and drought in New 

South Wales, Australia, 1970–2007. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of 
the United States of America. 109(35), 13950–13955. 
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1112965109    

 
Harder, A., Ganpat, W. G., Moore, A., Strong, R., & Lindner, J. R. (2013). An assessment of 

extension officers’ self-perceived programming competencies in selected Caribbean 
Countries. Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education, 20(1), 33–46.  
https://doi.org/10.5191/jiaee.2013.20103 

 
Horton, G., Hanna, L., & Kelly, B. (2010). Drought, drying and climate change: Emerging health 

issues for ageing Australians in rural areas. Australasian Journal on Ageing, 29(1), 2–7. 
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-6612.2010.00424.x  

 
Howard, M., Ahmed, S., Lachapelle, P., & Schure, M. B. (2020). Farmer and rancher perceptions 

of climate change and their relationships with mental health. Journal of Rural Mental 
Health, 44(2), 87–95. https://doi.org/10.1037/rmh0000131  

 



Palmer and Strong  Advancements in Agricultural Development 
 

https://doi.org/10.37433/aad.v3i1.175  53 
 

Huang, J., Wang, Y., & Wang, J. (2015). Farmers' adaptation to extreme weather events through 
farm management and its impacts on the mean and risk of rice yield in China. American 
Journal of Agricultural Economics, 97(2), 602–617. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajae/aav005  

 
Khan, K. S., Kunz, R., Kleijnen, J., & Antes, G. (2003). Five steps to conducting a systematic 

review. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 96(3), 118–121.  
https://doi.org/10.1258/jrsm.96.3.118   

 
Kiem, A. S., & Austin, E. K. (2013). Drought and the future of rural communities: Opportunities 

and challenges for climate change adaptation in regional Victoria, Australia. Global 
Environmental Change, 23(5), 1307–1316. 
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2013.06.003  

 
Laframboise, N., & Loko, B. (2012). Natural disasters: Mitigating impact, managing risks. 

International Monetary Fund Working Papers, 2012(245). 1–31. 
https://doi.org/10.5089/9781475512717.001   

 
Lee, C. L., Strong, R., & Dooley, K. E. (2021). Analyzing precision agriculture adoption across the 

globe: A systematic review of scholarship from 1999–2020. Sustainability, 13(18), 
10295. https://doi.org/10.3390/su131810295  

 
Lian, P., Zhuo, Z., Qi, Y., Xu, D., & Deng, X. (2021). The impacts of training on farmers’ 

preparedness behaviors of earthquake disaster—evidence from earthquake-prone 
settlements in rural China. Agriculture, 11(8), 726. 
https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11080726  

 
Lincoln, Y. E., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Sage Publications. 

https://doi.org/10.1016/0147-1767(85)90062-8  
 
Liu, X., Tang, Y., Ge, J., & Miranda, M. J. (2019). Does experience with natural disasters affect 

willingness-to-pay for weather index insurance? Evidence from China. International 
Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 33, 33–43. 
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2018.09.006  

 
Maas, A., Wardropper, C., Roesch-McNally, G., & Abatzoglou, J. (2020). A (mis) alignment of 

farmer experience and perceptions of climate change in the US inland Pacific Northwest. 
Climatic Change, 162(3), 1011–1029. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-020-02713-6  

 
Mahato, A. (2014). Climate change and its impact on agriculture. International Journal of 

Scientific and Research Publications, 4(4), 1–6. 
https://www.nswai.org/docs/Climate_change_impact_on_Agriculture.pdf  

 



Palmer and Strong  Advancements in Agricultural Development 
 

https://doi.org/10.37433/aad.v3i1.175  54 
 

Padhy, S. K., Sarkar, S., Panigrahi, M., & Paul, S. (2015). Mental health effects of climate change. 
Indian Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 19(1), 3–7. 
https://doi.org/10.4103/0019-5278.156997  

 
Parida, Y., Dash, D. P., Bhardwaj, P., & Chowdhury, J. R. (2018). Effects of drought and flood on 

farmer suicides in Indian States: An empirical analysis. Economics of Disasters and 
Climate Change, 2(2), 159–180. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41885-018-0023-8  

 
Perceval, M., Reddy, P., Ross, V., Joiner, T., & Kolves, K. (2020). Evaluation of the SCARF well-

being and suicide prevention program for rural Australian communities. The Journal of 
Rural Health, 36(2), 247–254. https://doi.org/10.1111/jrh.12373  

 
Peritogiannis, V., Manthopoulou, T., Gogou, A., & Mavreas, V. (2017). Mental healthcare 

delivery in rural Greece: a 10-year account of a mobile mental health unit. Journal of 
Neurosciences in Rural Practice, 8(4), 556–561. 
https://dx.doi.org/10.4103%2Fjnrp.jnrp_142_17 

 
Polain, J. D., Berry, H. L., & Hoskin, J. O. (2011). Rapid change, climate adversity and the next 

‘big dry’: Older farmers' mental health. The Australian Journal of Rural Health, 19(5), 
239–243. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1440-1584.2011.01219.x  

 
Powers, J. R., Dobson, A. J., Berry, H. L., Graves, A. M., Hanigan, I. C., & Loxton, D. (2015). Lack 

of association between drought and mental health in a cohort of 45–61 year old rural 
Australian women. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 39(6), 518–523. 
https://doi.org/10.1111/1753-6405.12369  

 
Qing, C., Guo, S., Deng, X., & Xu, D. (2021). Farmers' disaster preparedness and quality of life in 

earthquake-prone areas: The mediating role of risk perception. International Journal of 
Disaster Risk Reduction, 59, 102252. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2021.102252  

 
Rabassa, M., Skoufias, E., & Jacoby, H. (2014). Weather and child health in rural Nigeria. Journal 

of African Economies, 23(4), 464–492. https://doi.org/10.1093/jae/eju005  
 
Ringgenberg, W., Peek-Asa, C., Donham, K., & Ramirez, M. (2018). Trends and characteristics of 

occupational suicide and homicide in farmers and agricultural workers, 1992–2010. The 
Journal of Rural Health, 34(3), 246–253. https://doi.org/10.1111/jrh.12245  

 
Rosin, C., Stock, P., & Campbell, H. (2013). Food systems failure: The global food crisis and the 

future of agriculture. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781849776820  
 
Shi, P., Xu, W., & Wang, J. A. (2016). Natural disaster system in China. Springer Publishing. 

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-50270-9_1  
 



Palmer and Strong  Advancements in Agricultural Development 
 

https://doi.org/10.37433/aad.v3i1.175  55 
 

Simpson, D.M., Weissbecker, I., & Sephton, S.E. (2011). Extreme weather-related events: 
Implications for mental health and well-being. Springer Publishing. 
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-9742-5_4 

 
Singh, J. (2013). Analytical study of farmer suicide in Indian agriculture sector. International 

Journal of Research in Commerce, Economics and Management, 3(6), 58–65. 
https://ijrcm.org.in/article_info.php?article_id=3394  

 
Sivakumar, M. V. K., Motha, R. P., & Das, H. P. (Eds.). (2005). Natural disaster and extreme 

events in agriculture. Springer Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-28307-2  
 
Smalley, B. K., Warren, J. C., & Rainer, J. (Eds.). (2012). Rural mental health: Issues, policies, and 

best practices. Springer Publishing. 
 
Strong, R., & Harder, A. (2011a). The effects of Florida Master Gardener characteristics and 

motivations on program participation. Journal of Extension, 49(5). 
https://archives.joe.org/joe/2011october  

 
Strong, R., & Harder, A. (2011b). Recommended competencies needed for teaching in 

international extension settings. Journal of International Agricultural and Extension 
Education, 18(3), 72–83. https://doi.org/10.5191/jiaee.2011.18306     

 
Sturgeon, R., & Morrissette, P. J. (2010). A qualitative analysis of suicide ideation among 

Manitoban farmers. Canadian Journal of Counselling and Psychotherapy, 44(2), 191–
207. https://cjc-rcc.ucalgary.ca/article/view/59003  

 
Vayro, C., Brownlow, C., Ireland, M., & March, S. (2020). ‘Farming is not just an occupation [but] 

a whole lifestyle’: A qualitative examination of lifestyle and cultural factors affecting 
mental health help-seeking in Australian farmers. Sociologia Ruralis, 60(1), 151–173. 
https://doi.org/10.1111/soru.12274  

 
Vindrola-Padros, C., Brage, E., & Johnson, G. A. (2021). Rapid, responsive, and relevant?: A 

systematic review of rapid evaluations in health care. American Journal of Evaluation, 
42(1), 13–27. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1098214019886914  

 
Wang, Y., Li, W., Xiong, J., Li, Y., & Wu, H. (2019). Effect of land expropriation on land-lost 

farmers’ health: Empirical evidence from rural China. International Journal of 
Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(16), 2934. 
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16162934  

 
Wright, R. W., Brand, R. A., Dunn, W., & Spindler, K. P. (2007). How to write a systematic 

review. Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research, 455, 23–29. 
https://doi.org/10.1097/BLO.0b013e31802c9098  

 



Palmer and Strong  Advancements in Agricultural Development 
 

https://doi.org/10.37433/aad.v3i1.175  56 
 

Wynn, J. T., Coppedge, R. H., & Strong, R. (2013). Future IPM trends in Trinidad and Tobago: A 
qualitative study of farmers’ perspectives. Journal of International Agricultural and 
Extension Education, 20(2), 65–76. https://doi.org/10.5191/jiaee.2013.20205  

 
Yazd, S. D, & Wheeler, S. A., & Zuo, A. (2019). Key risk factors affecting farmers’ mental health: 

A systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 
16(23), 4849. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16234849  

 
Yeager, D. S., & Dweck, C. S. (2012). Mindsets that promote resilience: When students believe 

that personal characteristics can be developed. Educational Psychologist, 47(4), 302–
314. https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520.2012.722805    

 
Zimmerman, M. A. (2013). Resiliency theory: A strengths-based approach to research and 

practice for adolescent health. Health Education and Behavior, 40(4), 381–383. 
https://doi.org/10.1177/1090198113493782 

 
 
 
© 2022 by authors. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of 
the Creative Commons Attribution license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). 
 


