Editors' Notebook

As an agricultural journalist for over 25 years, I have written on many different ag topics during my career -- crops, livestock, machinery, markets. You name it and I have probably covered it.

One topic I have always felt I needed to write about was rural mental health. I'm not sure why. Maybe it was because I was a kid growing up in the Midwest during the 1980s farm crisis and remember a couple of farmers in our community dying from suicide and leaving behind loved ones to grieve. Or maybe it was because I was raised in a farm family and mental health was a topic that wasn't discussed.

Recently, I wrote about a free online course titled "Mental Health and Suicide Prevention in Rural America." You can read it that article here: https://www.dtnpf.com/…. It is being offered by Cornell University in partnership with NY FarmNet and Rural Minds, which is a nonprofit organization that promotes mental health in rural America.

The founder and chairman of Rural Minds is Jeff Winton, who is a New York dairy farmer who started the organization after his nephew died from suicide in their rural community. There is a video profile of him explaining why he started the organization on the group's website. You can view it here: https://www.ruralminds.org/….

Normally, I write articles and then move on to the next subject on my list to cover. This time, however, I decided I needed to take the course. The online course is free and probably about an hour in length. It took me longer, as I took notes along the way.

According to the course, farmers face a higher rate of suicide than people in other careers. Some of the reasons for this are the nature of farm work, the deep intertwining of farmers' work and their personal identity, significant obstacles to obtaining healthcare, and financial volatility due to things like weather and commodity markets.

Perhaps the most important part of the entire course was learning the warning signs that someone may be facing a mental health challenge. The course teaches to watch for changes in a person's talk, behavior and mood. Examples of changes in people's talk could be negative talk such as they feel like they are a burden to others or they are being trapped in a certain situation.

Changes in behavior could be increased use of alcohol or drugs, a lack of sleep and taking less pride in personal appearance or even upkeep of the farm. Changes in mood could include sadness, anger or even sudden happiness again as a person considers suicide.

The training said it is important to talk to the person about these changes you noticed. You don't need to be a trained expert -- just try and listen to the person. Talk to the person in private and share your general observations of these changes. Use a phrase such as "I have noticed" when you talk to the person.

Be attentive to the person, and it is recommended you ask the person directly if they are considering suicide. Research shows that contrary to what some people might think, asking someone this question directly often helps the situation.

How do you help someone who is thinking about suicide? You should believe the person and listen to the person and their concerns. Avoid talking down to him or her with your own advice.

Stay with the person if it safe to do so. Know what resources are available. Call 911 if it is an emergency issue. If not an emergency, call or text 988 and utilize local mental health resources in your area.

I urge anyone in a rural community, whether you are involved with agriculture or not, to take an hour and do the training. It is time well spent, and it could help you save a life someday.

Russ Quinn can be reached at Russ.Quinn@dtn.com

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