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Gender and Sexualities

Gendered Stress and the Mental Health Experiences of Women Farmers in North Carolina McKayla Robinette*, McKayla Robinette, Andrea Gómez Cervantes, Dawn Caviness,

Women make up approximately 33% of North Carolina’s agricultural producers, yet existing research on mental health in agriculture is largely structured around the experiences of men. Using an intersectional feminist qualitative framework, this study analyzed the structural and systemic ways gender and rural social contexts influence women farmers’ perceptions of mental health and access to mental health care. This study builds on previous research investigating the health care needs of women farmers, which identified a need for further research on mental health. 20 semi-structured interviews with North Carolina women farmers were conducted in person by a community-engaged researcher who identifies as a North Carolina woman farmer. Preliminary findings highlight the dual burden of agricultural work and gendered roles, such as caregiving and family management. Participants also described normalization and minimization of stress and mental health concerns, with a reliance on informal coping strategies and non-clinical mental health supports due to barriers to care, including geographic isolation, time, financial cost, and lack of knowledge around services. Results of this study highlight the need for gender-responsive approaches to supporting the intersecting demands influencing the mental health needs of agricultural producers.