Voices For Suicide Prevention
More farmers are dying by suicide. The Ohio Department of Agriculture has 'got your back'
Data doesn't lie. Agriculture is Ohio's biggest industry. $124 BILLION-plus in economic output every year. But there's another number on which we want to focus too; according to the National Rural Health Association, farmers are 3.5 times more likely to die by suicide than the general population. In Ohio, from a 2022 survey of farmers here, 1 in 10 had an at-risk score on a depression screening tool which indicated they had a higher risk of experiencing depression. It's believed that 1 in 10 figure is under-reported too. Here to talk about it is Ohio's Agriculture Director, Brian Baldridge, a farmer himself and someone who absolutely knows firsthand the myriad stressors facing the agriculture industry. Among many tools and resources, his department has a dedicated campaign called 'Got Your Back' which OSPF is proud to be part of. Director Baldridge also discusses how farmers and agriculture producers of this generation and the next can continue to make their voices heard for better mental health and suicide prevention. After all, these are our family, friends and neighbors who put food on our tables every single day; let's support them both professionally and personally!
Data doesn't lie. Agriculture is Ohio's biggest industry. $124 BILLION-plus in economic output every year. But there's another number on which we want to focus too; according to the National Rural Health Association, farmers are 3.5 times more likely to die by suicide than the general population. In Ohio, from a 2022 survey of farmers here, 1 in 10 had an at-risk score on a depression screening tool which indicated they had a higher risk of experiencing depression. It's believed that 1 in 10 figure is under-reported too. Here to talk about it is Ohio's Agriculture Director, Brian Baldridge, a farmer himself and someone who absolutely knows firsthand the myriad stressors facing the agriculture industry. Among many tools and resources, his department has a dedicated campaign called 'Got Your Back' which OSPF is proud to be part of. Director Baldridge also discusses how farmers and agriculture producers of this generation and the next can continue to make their voices heard for better mental health and suicide prevention. After all, these are our family, friends and neighbors who put food on our tables every single day; let's support them both professionally and personally!