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Toward a Public Health Approach to Farmer Suicide Prevention: The Potential Power of Systems Change. J Agromedicine 2024 Oct;29(4):665-675

Date

08/06/2024

Pubmed ID

39105563

DOI

10.1080/1059924X.2024.2388253

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-85200519836 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   1 Citation

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Suicide among farmers has, over the past 20 years, garnered attention from scholars around the world. The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, this paper will present a framework for considering farmer suicide that builds upon the Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicidal Behavior and extends our current explanations of suicide to include a multilevel, multifactorial focus on individual, interpersonal, community and systemic factors at the root of stressors contributing to suicide among farmers. Secondly, a blueprint for farmer suicide prevention, leveraging the Water of Systems Change Model, is proposed.

METHOD: In the spirit of conveying multi-layered influence on farmer suicide while highlighting relevant levels for prevention a parsimonious, prevention-based model of farmer suicide is presented.

RESULTS: The Water of Systems Change (WSC) model incorporates research to bring attention to the community, organizational, and societal conditions that keep a problem, such as farmer suicide, from being eradicated.

CONCLUSION: Suicide is a societal issue that requires a multi-level response. Farmer suicide is a particular concern, as farmers provide for and support all of us. It is incumbent upon public health and the community-at-large to improve our policies, systems, and contexts to create an environment in which farmers are also provided for and supported.

Author List

Kohlbeck S, Quinn K, deRoon-Cassini T, Hargarten S, Nelson D, Cassidy L

Authors

Laura Cassidy PhD Associate Dean, Director, Professor in the Institute for Health and Humanity department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Sara Kohlbeck PhD, MPH Assistant Professor in the Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin
David A. Nelson PhD Professor in the Family Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Katherine Quinn PhD Associate Professor in the Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Terri A. deRoon Cassini PhD Center Director, Professor in the Surgery department at Medical College of Wisconsin




MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Agriculture
Farmers
Humans
Public Health
Risk Factors
Suicide