Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. spoke on Saturday at the Kansas State Fair about the importance of caring for your neighbors with mental health issues, especially those working in agriculture.
“September is Mental Health Awareness Month,” Marshall said. “Specifically, we’re trying to educate folks about the challenges in agriculture. Farmers and ranchers have an almost four times higher suicide rate than the general population. The pressures are for real. Many of us, I’m a fifth-generation farm kid, many are six and seven generations out here. The pressure to keep that farm alive and well for future generations is enormous.”
It’s getting harder and harder to go from pencil to profit in production agriculture. Costs are not what they were even a few years ago.
“Interest rates alone, the average farmer has about $1 million operation loan,” Marshall said. “They were paying two percent interest on that particular loan three years ago and now it’s, I’m hearing nine and ten percent. That was the profit margin in their entire operation. Most farmers and ranchers are not having any profit left. At the end of the day, they’re working for free.”
Marshall said cultivating relationships with those farmers that live near you is important to keeping them alive and healthy.
“Call 988 for the suicide prevention hotline, if they need it,” Marshall said. “Most important, just be a good neighbor and reach out. When you see your neighbor struggling, invite them back to church. Invite them to a ballgame, invite them to go get some lunch with you. Be a good neighbor.”
According to Rural Minds, pre-pandemic in 2018, nearly two thirds of rural counties in America did not have a psychiatrist.
