A new Kansas Health Institute analysis shows that suicide rates climbed in rural and frontier counties by roughly 55% and 60% respectively from 2000-2019, significantly outpacing the increases in mid-sized cities and urban areas. David Condos of the Kansas New Service discusses the growing trend stressing rural communities across Kansas and the nation.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Helpline any time by calling 1-800-273-8255 or texting “HOME” to 741741.
If you would like to talk with someone in Kansas about what you or a loved one are going through, here are some regional resources that can help:
- Kansas Ag Stress helpline: 800-447-1985
- High Plains Mental Health Center in Hays: 785-628-2871
- Compass Behavioral Health in Garden City: 620-276-7689
- Southwest Guidance Center in Liberal: 620-624-8171
- Iroquois Center for Human Development in Greensburg: 620-723-2272
Also on today's podcast: Through the summer, Missouri was an early hotspot for the delta variant of COVID-19, leading to more unvaccinated young people getting severely ill. Unfortunately, as more young people got sick, more pregnant people did too. From KBIA, Rebecca Smith reports that many OBGYNs across the state are now worried about severe COVID complications during pregnancy and birth.
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Kansas City Today is hosted by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by Byron Love and edited by Gabe Rosenberg.
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