Drought Impacts on Mental Health

04/07/21 • 45 min

Drought impacts more than our physical world - the psychological impacts of drought are also very real. Crop damage or failure, running out of forage for livestock, the loss of culturally important natural resources, and many other drought-related effects can lead to stress, anxiety, and a deep sense of loss. Sometimes it’s hard to know who to talk to or what resources are available. In this episode, we talk to three experts on this topic and discuss some strategies for coping and what you can do to help support others in your community.

Co-presented by the Southwest Drought Learning Network. Email Emile Elias for more information about the network.

Resources mentioned in the podcast:

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (USA) dial 988 (or 1-800-273-8255). Available 24/7

Crisis Text Line: text 'HOME' to 741741 in the USA & Canada; UK: text 85258; Ireland: text 50808. Available 24/7

Farm Aid: 1-800-FARM-AID (1-800-327-6243). Available Monday through Friday, 6am-7pm Pacific Standard Time.

Western Region Agricultural Stress Assistance Project (WRASASP): https://farmstress.us/

Washington State University Water Irrigation Systems Efficiency Program: https://extension.wsu.edu/skagit/wsu-wise/

Tribal Climate Health Project: http://tribalclimatehealth.org/

When Every Drop Counts, a guidance document for public health officials.

Preparing for the Health Effects of Drought: A Resource Guide for Public Health Professionals

If you liked this podcast, please consider rating us and/or leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts, Podcast Addict, or Podchaser https://www.podchaser.com/ComeRainOrShine. Thanks!

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Affiliate links:
DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwestSustainable Southwest Beef Project (NIFA Grant #2019-69012-29853): https://southwestbeef.org/

Co-presented by the Southwest Drought Learning Network. Email Emile Elias for more information about the network.

Resources mentioned in the podcast:

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (USA) dial 988 (or 1-800-273-8255). Available 24/7

Crisis Text Line: text 'HOME' to 741741 in the USA & Canada; UK: text 85258; Ireland: text 50808. Available 24/7

Farm Aid: 1-800-FARM-AID (1-800-327-6243). Available Monday through Friday, 6am-7pm Pacific Standard Time.

Western Region Agricultural Stress Assistance Project (WRASASP): https://farmstress.us/

Washington State University Water Irrigation Systems Efficiency Program: https://extension.wsu.edu/skagit/wsu-wise/

Tribal Climate Health Project: http://tribalclimatehealth.org/

When Every Drop Counts, a guidance document for public health officials.

Preparing for the Health Effects of Drought: A Resource Guide for Public Health Professionals

If you liked this podcast, please consider rating us and/or leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts, Podcast Addict, or Podchaser https://www.podchaser.com/ComeRainOrShine. Thanks!

Previous Episode

Drought & Natural Resources Management

As of March 1st 2020, 85% of Arizona and 82% of New Mexico were in extreme to exceptional drought--the most severe drought categories used by the U.S. Drought Monitor--and other states in the Southwest were fairing similarly. Rangelands and other arid ecosystems that are able to withstand exceptionally high temperatures may not seem as vulnerable to drought as other types of ecosystems, but they may be even closer to thresholds and more vulnerable. In this episode, we spoke with two USGS scientists about their drought-related research in Southwest dryland ecosystems and how it informs natural resource management in the region. Listen in to hear some entertaining fieldwork stories, and learn about programs and projects, like the Restoration Assessment & Monitoring Program for the Southwest (RAMPS), that are designed to help managers develop better strategies for recovering ecosystems, and to foster knowledge exchange between land managers and researchers.
Co-presented by the Southwest Drought Learning Network. Email Emile Elias for more information about the network.

If you like this podcast please consider rating us and/or leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts, Podcast Addict, or Podchaser https://www.podchaser.com/ComeRainOrShine Thanks!

Follow us on Twitter @RainShinePod
Never miss an episode! Sign up to get an email alert whenever a new episode publishes
Have other comments or episode suggestions for us? We welcome your feedback! Please share your thoughts and suggestions here: https://forms.gle/3oVDfWbjNZs6CJVT7

Next Episode

Grass-Cast: A Grassland Productivity Forecasting Tool

In this mid-month bonus episode we interview Dr. Dannele Peck, Director of the USDA Northern Plains Climate Hub, about a rangeland/grassland forage productivity forecasting tool called Grass-Cast. Grass-Cast uses well-known relationships between historical weather and grassland production to provide estimates of annual forage production, beginning in the spring of each year and updated on a two-week cycle throughout the growing season. With the new growing season now upon us, we decided to check in with Dannele for a behind the scenes look at Grass-Cast - how it’s made, why it’s important, and what changes we might expect to see in the future.
Grass-Cast homepage https://grasscast.unl.edu/

If you’re enjoying this podcast, please consider rating us and/or leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts, Podcast Addict, or Podchaser https://www.podchaser.com/ComeRainOrShine Thanks!

Come Rain or Shine - Drought Impacts on Mental Health

Transcript

Emile: [00:00:00] Welcome to the second in a series of episodes focused on the impacts of drought, co-presented by the Southwest Drought Learning Network. In this episode, we delve into the impacts of drought on mental health and stress. Please be advised that while the nature of this episode is educational, the conversation does touch on subjects that may be upsetting or triggering to some.

The topics include anxiety, depression, suicide, self-harm, loss of culturally i