Mental HEalth and Well-Being
In FY 2025, AgriLife Extension Family and Community Health educators and volunteers conducted more than 944 educational events focused on mental health topics, resulting in nearly 33,000 direct contacts. The following programmatic highlights illustrate how AgriLife Extension’s educational programs positively impact the mental health and well-being of Texans.
Mental Health and Well-Being Programs
AgriLife Extension’s mental health and well-being programs provide individuals and families with practical, evidence-based tools to manage stress, recognize mental health challenges, and build resilience across the lifespan. Programming emphasizes mental health literacy, effective coping and self-care strategies, and awareness of local, state, and national support resources—encouraging timely help-seeking when professional assistance is needed.
Through programs such as Adult and Youth Mental Health First Aid, Stress Less with Mindfulness, Mindful SELF, Building Resilience in All Texans, Master of Memory, and Living a Fearless Life, participants developed skills to better
navigate stress, regulate emotions, manage caregiving responsibilities, and adapt to life transitions. Collectively, these programs support crisis prevention, emotional regulation, and improved quality of life for Texans.
FCH educators delivered a broad range of mental health and well-being education designed to prevent mental health challenges, strengthen resilience, and promote overall well-being statewide.
In FY 2025, educators conducted 514 educational sessions, reaching 8,158 direct contacts across 46 rural counties. In total, 27,251 clock hours of mental health training were delivered statewide, including 11,318 hours in rural communities, demonstrating
Extension’s continued commitment to serving underserved populations.
Participant feedback and evaluation data indicate meaningful program impact. Among 570 participants, 68.1% reported complete gains in knowledge, 62.5% found the training completely helpful, and 50.2% rated their overall experience at the highest level. Nearly half of respondents (49.6%) reported a high likelihood of recommending the program to others, and 69.3% indicated improvements in their mental health or overall well-being. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that AgriLife Extension’s mental health and well-being programs are effectively supporting preventive education, resilience-building, and early intervention across Texas communities.
My stress went from a 10 to 0 because of everything I learned today.”