UT Tyler School of Medicine Southwest Center for Agricultural Health and Partners Awarded Gold for Suicide Awareness Video
September 28, 2023
Partners include Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Services and Pine Curtain Film Company
TYLER, Texas (September 19, 2023) – The University of Texas at Tyler School of Medicine’s Southwest Center for Agricultural Health, Injury Prevention and Education, in partnership with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Services and Pine Curtain Film Company was awarded a gold for their video in the National Health Information Awards Category, 2023. The video, Episode 4 in the Home Safe Home series, tells the story of one farmer’s experience with mental health, losing a loved one to suicide and how he was able to save a life before it was too late.
According to a 2020 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2016, the male suicide rate for farmers and ranchers was 43.2 per 100,000, as compared to 27.4 per 100,000 among males across all occupations.
“On behalf of our valued partners, we are incredibly honored to receive the gold award for our suicide awareness video,” said Vanessa Casanova, professor and director of the SW Ag Center. “Mental health is a critical issue in the agricultural community, and it is essential to bring attention to the challenges faced by farmers and ranchers. Through this video, we hope to break down the stigma surrounding mental health and promote a supportive environment for those in need.”
Agricultural workers and their families who need crisis support or access to resources can call or text the AgriStress Helpline for Texas: 833-897-2474. The Helpline is made possible through a partnership between the SW Ag Center, the Texas Department of Agriculture, and the AgriSafe Network. For more information, visit www.farmlifehelp.com.
The Southwest Center for Agricultural Health, Injury Prevention and Education was founded in late 1995 at The University of Texas at Tyler Health Science Center to serve Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas as part of a program initiative of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. The initiative established a network of centers, funded on a competitive basis, to conduct programs of research, prevention, intervention, education and outreach designed to reduce the burden of illness and injury among agricultural workers and their families.