Reaching Rural America / Llegar a la América rural

Content warning: This episode contains discussions of suicide.

Rates for depression are higher in rural America than in urban areas; and according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide rates among people living in rural areas are 64 to 68 percent higher compared to people living in large urban areas. Public health awareness campaigns that work in cities aren’t cutting it in the countryside. Rural communities require a different communication approach.

That’s where Jeff Winton comes in. Jeff runs Wall Street Dairy in upstate New York, and he’s the founder of Rural Minds, a 501c3 nonprofit with the mission to serve as the informed voice for mental health in rural America and to provide mental health information and resources. The organization’s vision is a rural America where there’s no more stigma, silence, or suffering around mental illness.

Jeff founded Rural Minds in response to the suicide of his 28-year-old nephew, Brooks Winton. On this episode, we’ll discuss Jeff and Brooks’ story, and how they aim to raise awareness and remove stigma around mental illness in rural America. Recognizing that self-reliance and a do-it-yourself mindset are common among many individuals who live in rural communities, Rural Minds is partnering with individuals and organizations to help empower rural Americans with information, resources, and training to become part of the solution to improving rural mental health and preventing suicide.

Highlights:

• Jeff Winton’s background (1:44)
• Mental health organizations are struggling to reach rural America (5:29)
• Brooks Winton and the origins of Rural Minds (6:44)
• Why rural populations are more at risk for mental illness (11:41)
• Cultural expectations of independence (14:47)
• Why Jeff was honest about suicide in Brooks’ eulogy (16:03)
• The power of telling your story (17:35)
• Raising awareness through trusted organizations (21:31)
• Mental health resources (23:37)

Links:

• Cultivemos
• Cultivemos YouTube
• Cultivemos Instagram
• Cultivemos Facebook
• Cultivemos Resources
• Rural Minds
• Rural Minds Moving Forward Newsletter
• Rural Suicide Prevention and Awareness
• Rural Mental Health Connections Webinar Series
• Rural Mental Health Crisis Fact Sheet
• Connect with Rural Minds on Facebook
• Connect with Rural Minds on Twitter
• Connect with Rural Minds on Instagram
• Connect with Rural Minds on LinkedIn

Feedback:

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This work is supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Farm and Ranch Stress As