This tip sheet discusses the mental health effects of drought on rural populations, how to recognize stress and depression, and suicide warning signs.

Founded to coordinate interfaith recovery work following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, NDIN is an organization composed of subject matter experts who work with faith communities and faith-based organizations in support of disaster preparedness, response, and recovery.

The NDMC helps people and institutions develop and implement measures to reduce societal vulnerability to drought, stressing preparedness and risk management rather than crisis management. Their website includes a section to help children better understand drought.

This resource is a map released each week showing levels of drought across the country, as well as areas that are abnormally dry and may be entering or emerging from drought. The Drought Monitor website includes current and past maps, data visualizations, the weekly summary of drought conditions across the nation, and forecast and outlook information.

This document reports on the findings of a project to understand issues in mental and substance use disorder services in rural areas. It covers barriers to mental health and substance use disorder service delivery, model programs and policy strategies, and the roles of telehealth and state and local organizations in service delivery in rural communities.

This report describes a study to identify promising practices for rural mental health and substance use-related programs across the United States. The report explains the importance of promising practices, defines and describes promising practices, and presents in Appendix C the programs included in the study.

This online resource provides access to research and findings of the nine Rural Health Research Centers funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Office of Rural Health Policy. Products available through the site include policy briefs, fact sheets, and journal articles, as well as recaps of rural health research and resource collections on topics including rural emergency preparedness and response.

As part of HRSA, the Office of Rural Health Policy promotes better health services for rural Americans. The website contains information about funding opportunities, policy, programs, and research.

Provided by the SAMHSA Disaster Distress Helpline, this web page gives an overview of the effects droughts may have. It lists the signs of emotional distress related to drought and who may be most at risk of experiencing them. Lastly, it provides resources and information on where to get help.

Individuals and families can use this web page to prepare themselves and their homes for a drought. It provides tips for conserving indoor and outdoor water before and during a drought, as well as links to related resources and organizations.

This web page offers general drought information, including several ways to define drought. It also describes water restrictions and presents measures people can take indoors and outdoors to conserve water.

This website outlines ways in which drought can affect the mental health of communities. It also includes links to resources to help people cope with the psychological effects of drought.

This web page discusses the nature of stress related to a drought and identifies members of farming and rancher families who may experience higher levels of stress than others. It also provides strength-based strategies for what farmers and ranchers can do to manage stress and when to seek help from a professional.

This web page links to several resources focusing on drought and the drought-related health issues that individuals and families may experience. Resources cover topics including coping with stress, helping children and youth cope, and family financial management in the context of risk and experience of drought.

Public health professionals can use this guide to aid their efforts in preparing for a drought. The guide includes five modules covering topics such as conducting a vulnerability assessment, communicating drought preparedness and response strategies, and finding funding for preparedness and response efforts.

This article describes the issues farmers may face during a drought. It describes signs of stress, and ways that farmers can help reduce the burden of the drought. Topics include working together as a family and money management. It also identifies signs of the need for help from a mental health professional.

This web page links to several resources to help individuals and families deal with flooding events. These resources provide tips for preparing homes for floods and staying safe during and after floods.

This fact sheet provides information on disasters, including the phases in which individuals and communities experience disasters, and the effects of disasters on families. It features a list of resources to help families cope with disasters and their aftermath.

This course assists rural communities with planning for and executing disaster recovery efforts. The course covers case studies of communities and their challenges and successes. The web page provides upcoming dates and locations where the course will be held, and information on how to request delivery of the course in your community.

Developed after tornadoes in 2017 in Van Zandt County in Texas, this toolkit presents steps and strategies for preparing for and responding to disasters in rural communities. Topics include setting up a long-term recovery group, conducting an immediate needs assessment, running a case management program, and managing volunteers.

This fact sheet offers suggestions on how to respond to a financial crisis following a disaster. It suggests ways to cope with financial stress and describes strategies to improve the situation. Resources applicable to agricultural crises are included.

The Farm Crisis Center is a part of the National Farmers Union and serves as a resource hub for farmers and individuals living in rural communities. Resources include hotlines for individuals experiencing stress, disaster resources, and disaster assistance programs.

This web page provides information for farmers and families of farmers to help them recognize signs of stress. It also lists resources for coping with stress and depression and preventing suicide.

This toolkit is designed for organizations that would like to implement mental health programs in rural areas. It contains seven modules that focus on developing, implementing, evaluating, and sustaining rural mental health programs.

This section of the Farmers.gov website provides information about the different types of disaster assistance and recovery programs available for farmers. Information is presented on disaster assistance programs related to preparing for and recovering from damage and loss of crops, livestock, and property.