Suicide affects all South Dakotans
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HURON — Suicides among South Dakotans are on the rise, and farmers and ranchers are not immune.
“What is happening to producers is very serious,” says Andrea Bjornestad, South Dakota State University Assistant Professor & SDSU Extension Mental Health Specialist, during her presentation to family farmers and ranchers attending the 2018 South Dakota Farmers Union State Convention.
She referenced 2017 data showing 192 South Dakotans committed suicide. And, although the state does not keep statistics on the careers of victims, due to the rural nature of our state, it is assumed that many of the 192 victims live in rural communities and may work in agriculture.
The reason the numbers are up? Bjornestad explained there are quite a few factors including chronic stress, limited access to mental health support and isolation.
“Agriculture sustains one of the highest mortality rates from chronic stress,” Bjornestad says. “Suicide among farmers and ranchers is an international concern.”
To prove this point, she showed the following data:
• Australian farmers die by suicide every four days.
• One farmer per week takes his or her own life in the United Kingdom.
• One farmer dies by suicide every two days in France.
• More than 270,000 farmers have died by suicide since 1995 in India.
With tough economic times and challenging weather, farmers and ranchers do not have control over many daily stressors. So, Bjornestad encouraged agriculture producers to make time for self-care.