Mental health in agriculture remains a priority

Suicide and mental health crises are rising across Kansas farm/ranches, devastating families, overwhelming hospitals and law enforcement, and leaving too many people struggling alone.

The crisis is especially acute in agricultural communities. Farmers and ranchers are up to 3.5 times more likely to die by suicide than the general population and roughly 20% to 30% report symptoms of depression, far higher than the national average. Nearly half carry the struggle to get help.

This is our collective problem to solve. Every one of us—family, friends, neighbors, schools, employers, churches, health care providers and local leaders—has a role to play in helping people get support before a crisis becomes a tragedy. This Mental Health Awareness Month, we all need to commit to do more because support is available and suicide can be prevented.

Farmers and ranchers are the backbone of the communities we live in. We know them and see them every afternoon driving old trucks. This issue is so profound that U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, R-KS, recently spoke about it at a Senate hearing, noting that each year, more farmers die by suicide than in farming accidents. But he pointed to something giving Kansas hope: Our coalition, ability to help our neighbors and the work happening through Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics.

Prairie View is proud to be part of that effort.

Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics help meet our community’s needs by providing immediate crisis care, therapy and treatment, connection to primary care and social services for anyone—whether and however they need it, regardless of their ability to pay. These clinics also ease the burden on expensive hospitalization and law enforcement.

It is particularly the crisis care that matters because when someone is in crisis, waiting weeks for help is not an option.

Before we began operating this new model of care, families in our communities faced impossible choices when a loved one was struggling.

CCBHCs are changing that.

Our clinics are building stronger partnerships with schools, hospitals, law enforcement and local organizations to ensure people can access care before a challenge becomes a tragedy.

At Prairie View, our teams respond to individual experiences of mental health crises with compassion and urgency. We make care easier to access in rural communities where distance, transportation and working schedules have too often prevented people from getting help.

The results are encouraging. Through our clinics and crisis care services, Prairie View has provided more than 127,000 services and completed more than 1,500 mental health evaluations while continuing to expand access to same-day mental and behavioral health care across Newton, McPherson and Hillsboro.

But no clinic can solve this challenge alone.

Mental health is not just a health care issue. It is a community issue. Supporting someone who is struggling can be as simple as checking in on a neighbor. As Sen. Marshall recently said, “Most of us notice when our neighbor suddenly is not going to church, or they’re not going to a ball game. And there’s some of those very subtle hints out there that we’re all aware of.”

Every member of our community can be part of the solution. Learn the signs of emotional distress. Talk openly about mental health and addiction. Reach out to loved ones who may be struggling.

Kansas communities are strongest when we take care of one another. By working together we can ensure more people find hope, healing and help before a crisis turns into loss.

If you or someone you know is struggling, you can walk into our clinic for a same day appointment or call our crisis hotline at 1-800-362-0180.

Marcy Johnson is president and CEO of Prairie View, Inc.