Group forms to address rural mental health, suicide

Suicide and mental health issues among farmers and ranchers have far-reaching effects in rural communities, according to a Friday, Dec. 6, conversation about the topic.

A working group to address mental health issues in rural Colorado met informally Friday morning to “start the conversation” about suicide prevention and mental illness in northeast Colorado.

The meeting, organized by Centennial Mental Health, included members of local law enforcement, agricultural organizations, educators, lenders and others.

The meeting was moderated by Maranda Miller, suicide prevention specialist with Centennial. Miller, who comes from a farm family, said rural mental health is “a personal passion of mine and a professional passion as well.”

About 20 people attended and spent about a half-hour introducing themselves and talking about why they were participating. Miller said suicide is the seventh leading cause of death in Colorado. In 2017, the latest year reliable numbers are available, Colorado was ninth in the nation in suicide deaths with 21.1 suicides per 100,000 people, compared to the national average of 14 per 100,000.

Statistics from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention showed that suicide costs Coloradans more than $1 billion a year in lost work and lifetime medical costs. That amounts to 26,270 years of potential life lost before age 65.

Major Barry Winckler, Sterling Police Department’s operations commander, said he’s lost law enforcement friends to suicide and is interested in keeping his officers from going down that path.

Logan County Sheriff Brett Powell voiced similar concerns; he said his deputies usually are the first ones on the scene when a suicide happens in rural areas, and that takes a toll on first responders.

The full article is available in our e-Edition. Click here to subscribe.