(Family Features) Rural America is experiencing a mental health emergency. For residents of rural communities, there is evidence of higher rates of mental illness compared to those in urban communities. Suicide rates are 64-68% higher in rural communities compared to urban areas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Yet people who live in rural areas are less likely to access mental health services.

“We’ve got to start looking at mental health differently than what we have done for generations, especially in rural areas,” says Jeff Winton a multigenerational dairy farmer from New York. “Our mission is to serve as the informed voice for mental health in rural America and to provide mental health information and resources. We are working to confront mental health challenges in rural communities and the stigma that surrounds mental illness.”

Farmer’s are two to four percent more likely to die by suicide than any other occupation. A statistic Jeff Winton is all too familiar with after losing his own nephew, a dairy farmer, to suicide. After this event, Jeff created the non-profit organization Rural Minds, whose mission is to advocate for mental health awareness in rural America and to provide resources and information to those who need it.

5. Rural Minds

A very concerning health fact was brought to the Grange’s attention — people in rural areas, and especially farmers, are more likely to commit suicide than individuals in urban areas.

Rural people’s nature of being private about their affairs and their general determination to take care of themselves contributes to this problem.

The lack of mental health treatment in rural areas is also a contributing factor.

Jeff Winton, founder and chairman of Rural Minds, presented to the Westfield-Mayville Rotary Club on the issues with rural America lacking good mental health services. Winton said suicide rates are very high for the 14% of the population, or 46 million. He gave a variety of reasons including isolation, lack of services, the stigma of receiving services, family secrets, etc. A 24-hour help line is available by calling or texting 988.