Senator Roger Marshall held a press conference for mental health awareness weeks on Thursday, dealing with farmers and ranch suicide issues across the country.
“We lose a farmer every day to commit suicide. We lose more farmers in suicide than farm accidents.”
Senator said, “I am a fifth -generation farm child. He learned and grew up on farm safety.“ We have never learned anything about mental health. ”
“What we see today is the decrease in the record of net farm income. Due to the previous White House’s policy, the cost of input has risen exponentially.
The big burden of many Kansas farmers is that it is a 5th generation or 6th generation farm family who can lose it.
Marshall said, “There are resources to help prevent this.
Marshall quoted the Documentary “Shadows of the Shadows” that shines light on the mental health crisis in the United States.
He was interviewed with this project. The documentary can be viewed online on Outoftheshadows.com.
Creator of this documentary:
• One in five adults in the American countryside reported that in 2023, he suffered from mental illness.
• 4.8%of the American rural adults have reported serious thoughts about suicide.
• Farmers are much more likely to die from suicide than the general population.
• The suicide rate has increased by 46% in the US rural US over the past 20 years.
Other resources
North Central Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Center is to “help the Midwest farmers and ranches to find support for resources and prosperity.”
USDA farms and ranch stress support network subsidies, North Central Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Center supports funds, consisting of 12 major organizations, including Kansas. According to the website Farmsstress.org, “We want to make it possible for you, your family and those who work with you to access the resources you need when you need it. We believe that farmers, ranches and other agricultural workers can explore the stress increase to grow farmers, mental health resources and communities.”
Another useful website is Kansas Ag Stress Resources Page, Kansasagstress.org. Free, local interests are 800-447-1985 for local interests to support 24/7.
“Resources collected on this website can help Kansas farmers and ranches to take care of welfare and help. Stress management, financial and legal issues and other demands. If more tools are developed, this website will be updated and will be used as a hub for current information and resources.”
Support phone or text 988 or community mental health center. BARTON, PAWNEE, RICE and STAFOD County are provided in the counseling and counseling center of Great Bend. Call 620-792-2544 or visit the website TheCentergb.org.
