Invest in Your Health: Cultivating a Healthy Mind

Summary: Stigma exists across all age groups for those struggling with mental health. Navigation of the teen years in everyday situations can create angst and uncomfortable feelings that are difficult to express. Adding mental illness and mental crisis to a teen or young adult’s typical growth and development makes struggling with emotions, relationships, academic success, and safety more challenging. According to the CDC, rates of depression and anxiety climb significantly during the ages of 12-17. Suicide is the second leading cause of death of youths in the United States. This module opens an introductory discussion of mental health among teens and young adults with guidance from an adult educator. Focus is placed on decreasing stigma, improving mental health literacy, and positive coping skills for teens and young adults. The module showcases a high school agricultural student’s understanding of the agricultural mental health crisis, helping to frame mental health distress to academic and future career success.

Objectives: After the module, teens and young adults will be able to....

Understand the relationship of mental health to physical health and academic or career success
Recognize basic signs or symptoms that present when young adults experience mental stress
Identify healthy and unhealthy coping behaviors when faced with mental distress
Communicate their concerns when suspecting they or someone they know is experiencing a mental health crisis

Intended Audience: This Train the Trainer course is designed for teachers, Extension staff, 4H and FFA leaders and others who work with young adults.

Invest in Your Health is supported by:

Tara Haskins, DNP, MSN, RN, AHN-BC

Total Farmer Health Director

AgriSafe Network

Dr. Tara Haskins oversees partnerships to support AgriSafe’s Total Farmer Health initiative. She is also responsible for AgriSafe’s mental health programming. Tara contributes to curriculum design and implements new Total Farmer Health trainings that optimize and expand upon existing programs. She collaborates with organizations and government agencies that are interested in using the Total Farmer Health model as a public health framework.

Tara has worked in healthcare as a registered nurse for 37 years with clinical experience in medical surgical, critical care, crisis intervention and opioid and alcohol outpatient treatment. Dr. Haskins worked for 11 years in academia as lead faculty in musculoskeletal and psychiatric mental health nursing content across three universities.