Photo: SuppliedNow, only seven months after his death, the 22-year-old has launched an online suicide awareness and mental health campaign. "In my experience living rurally and being in the farming community I would not be able to tell you how to access mental health services," Grace says. In general she says members in the farming community think getting mental health support is "too hard and not worth it" based on their "understanding of the services". "It can be really really hard on egos when you can't deliver for those animals - and with changing environments, it's really affecting their [farmers] mental health." Although she understands the school's hesitancy, she says keeping quiet on suicide and mental health issues only perpetuate taboos surrounding the illnesses.

Source: Otago Daily Times August 30, 2020 08:26 UTC