Farmers and ranchers are at greater risk for suicide than other populations. Stressors including reliance on weather conditions, fluctuating crop prices and social isolation – when combined with easy access to guns and other lethal means – all contribute to high suicide rates among agricultural workers.
Settings where populations at high risk for suicide can be found and where outreach can be effective include:
• Farm credit offices
• Unemployment offices
• Juvenile detention facilities
• Home health care settings
• Youth and women’s shelters
• DWI court
Emotional states most associated with suicidality:
• Hopelessness
• Loss of self-worth
• Perceived loss of desired
• Depression level of functioning
SOURCE: Research on the Reduction and Prevention of Suicidality: PA-MH-03-120, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services