Psychological Distress and Substance Abuse as Predictors of Psychological Well-Being of Smallholder Farmers’ in Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State.

Abstract

Farmers work hard throughout the seasons to produce food and meet Sustainable Development Goal 2, which aims to eliminate all forms of hunger by 2030 and achieve food security. Understanding the psychological distress that smallholder farmers’ experience is critical to advancing food and nutrition security. According to research, farmers are particularly vulnerable to psychological distress. Depression, anxiety, stress, and substance abuse were investigated as predictors of farmers’ psychological well-being in Makurdi Local Government Area, Benue State. The study included 355 farmers from four communities in Kighir and Adem, Apir, and Adeke, chosen at random. Five hypotheses were proposed and tested.Data were gathered using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21), the Drug Abuse Screen Test (DAST-10), and the Psychological Well-Being Scale (PWB-18). Using Multiple Linear Regression for data analysis, results from the four-hypothesis showed that depression, anxiety, stress, and substance abuse all had a significant negative impact on farmers’ psychological well-being. The fifth hypothesis (β= -0.262, t= -2.637, P< 0.05 and β= -0.211, t= -2.135, P< 0.05) found that depression and stress jointly have a significant negative impact on farmers’ psychological well-being. The study recommends that the federal, state, and local governments, non-governmental organizations, philanthropists, and private sector actors take immediate action to address the causes of distress in farming communities and provide farmers with access to psychological services in farming communities. In conclusion, the study emphasizes the critical need for psychological research, citing the study’s population and psychological well-being as important topics in mental health discussions.