A National Centers for Disease Control report released this week suggests that some of Maine’s most iconic industries also see the most deaths by suicide.
Farming, fishing and forest industry workers are committing suicides at the highest rates among the states surveyed, according to the report.
Monique Coombs from the Maine Coast Fisherman’s Association says she is interested in learning more about the data, since not much is really known about suicide among Maine fishermen, but she says, knowing what she knows about resource-based industries like fishing and farming, the finding isn’t a complete surprise.
“It’s their whole lifestyle, so if something terrible happens to their job or their boat or something, it’s not like they’re just losing their 9-5 position. Something in their lifestyle is changing,” she says.
And Coombs says not much exists in the way of outreach and mental health options for self-employed farmers and fishermen, and she says she doubts many in those industries would ask for help. Additionally, aging out of the industry and a lack of retirement resources may play a role, she says.
The report tracks 17 states’ data for 2012, the most recent report year. Maine is not among them but will be in subsequent reports; the state began reporting those kinds of deaths to the CDC in 2014.
