The College of Veterinary Medicine and NY FarmNet, in partnership with Rural Minds, has launched a free online course, “Mental Health and Suicide Prevention in Rural America,” designed to give learners practical support strategies and resources to navigate mental health challenges in rural communities.

Tailored for veterinary students, veterinarians and agribusiness professionals, the course reviews specific mental health issues, including suicide, in rural America and provides information to mitigate them.

While the course focuses on mental health in rural America, the skills and resources shared are broadly applicable. All those with interest are welcome to access the course at eCornell.

“As a dairy farmer, I know firsthand that veterinarians are an integral part of all rural communities. And they may be among the first to see warning signs that a client is experiencing a mental health challenge but may not recognize those same signs in themselves,” said Jeff Winton ’80, founder and chairman of Rural Minds, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting mental health in rural America.

Research has shown that rural communities have approximately 65% higher rates of suicide in their population compared to urban areas. Farmers are twice as likely as those in other occupations to die by suicide – a statistic likely exacerbated by those experiencing financial instability and isolation.

Rural community members also face barriers to care. Rural areas have 20% fewer primary care providers than urban areas, with 65% of rural counties lacking a psychiatrist. Furthermore, many rural community members have expensive or nonexistent internet service and lack adequate health insurance coverage.

Complicating matters are cultural norms that emphasize self-reliance as a virtue and stigmas against those who seek mental health support.

“Professionals working in rural-agricultural regions face immense challenges related to stress and mental health,” said Adam Howell, outreach director for NY FarmNet, which was founded by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS). The main office operates as part of the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, part of both CALS and the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business.

“NY FarmNet is proud to see this new educational initiative come to fruition,” Howell said, “as we work together to alleviate the mental health crisis afflicting rural communities across America.”

The course provides practical tips to help with mental health challenges, including recognizing and responding to warning signs, as well as providing key information on resources such as crisis hotline numbers and local supports.

The course meets a need discussed in 2022 by Lorin D. Warnick, D.V.M., Ph.D.’94, the Austin O. Hooey Dean of Veterinary Medicine, as part of the college’s “Many Voices, One College” speaker series. Warnick’s talk focused on his experience growing up as part of a farming family in rural Montana, and on the unique experiences that rural community members face.

“All of us continue to depend on rural areas for many of life’s essentials,” Warnick said in that talk. “But farming is even more of a solitary pursuit than it used to be, and the social costs of the loss of so many family farms may be even greater than the economic losses.”

With the launch of this new course, Warnick, Winton and colleagues have provided an important resource to benefit rural communities.

Said Winton: “Rural Minds is honored and grateful to collaborate with Cornell and NY FarmNet to provide this important and potentially life-saving training program, both for rural residents and for veterinarians themselves.”

Lauren Cahoon Roberts is director of communications at the College of Veterinary Medicine.