>> CATHY: FARMERS ARE MORE LIKELY TO DIE BY SUICIDE THAN THE GENERAL POPULATION.

MINNESOTA IS LEADING THE NATION IN EFFORTS TO PREVENT FARMER SUICIDES.

REPORTER KAOMI LEE TELLS US WHY ONE FARMER IS ALIVE TODAY.

>> THOMAS AND HIS WIFE, KRISTEN, ARE FOURTH-GENERATION FARMERS IN PRINCETON.

IN TEN YEARS, THEIR FARM WILL BE 100 YEARS IN THE FAMILY.

THEY HAVE ABOUT 40 DAIRY COWS.

MOSTLY JERSEYS.

THEY ALSO SELL HAY.

FROM A DISTANCE, FARM LIFE LOOKS PASTORAL.

UNDERNEATH THERE'S CONSTANT STRESS.

>> MY INPUT COSTS THIS YEAR ARE UP ABOUT 30% FROM LAST YEAR.

IN THE MEANTIME, THE INCOME IS GOING DOWN.

CURRENTLY THE MILKING, IT TAKES ABOUT $108 A DAY JUST IN GRAIN TO FEED THE COWS, MILK PER DAY IS ABOUT $150 IN INCOME, THAT'S BEFORE ANY EXPENSES.

>> IT IS A LOVE/HATE RELATIONSHIP.

FOR THE MOST PART, IT IS A GOOD LIFE.

SOMETHING JUST DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT WAY OF LIFE COMPARED TO A LOT OF PEOPLE.

>> BUT IN 2017, THINGS GOT TOO HARD.

>> FINANCIALS REALLY GOT TO ME.

EVERYTHING WE'RE DOING TO PAY BILLS, OKAY, THROW IT ON A CREDIT CARD, WE'LL GET CAUGHT UP FOR NOW.

THEN ANOTHER BILL COMES DUE.

IT'S LIKE, WHAT'S NEXT?

WHAT'S NEXT?

>> THAT'S WHEN HE TRIED TO TAKE HIS LIFE.

>> I HAD ONE ATTEMPT.

I'LL BE HONEST, I WOULDN'T BE HERE TODAY IF IT WASN'T FOR KRISTEN.

SORRY.

MY PHONE RANG IN MY POCKET, AND IT WAS KRISTEN.

THE TEXT MESSAGE SAID, WHERE ARE YOU?

>> HAT ONE TEXT IS THE REASON HE'S ALIVE.

KRISTEN KNEW SOMETHING WAS OFF AND WOULD NOT LEARN UNTIL A YEAR LATER HE HAD NEARLY DIED BY SUICIDE.

>> I JUST FELT LIKE HE WAS VERY DISTANT AND I DIDN'T KNOW IF IT WAS JUST BECAUSE HE WAS NERVOUS HAVING A BABY ON THE WAY, AND, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANTED HIM TO TALK TO ME.

IT WAS JUST HARD TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO.

BUT ALSO HAVING TO KEEP ON GOING WITH THE FARM AND KEEP DOING A LOT OF THE THINGS BY MYSELF.

>> STATISTICS SHOW PEOPLE SUFFERING FROM MENTAL ILLNESS, ON AVERAGE, TAKE MORE THAN TEN YEARS TO SPEAK UP.

MONICA IS ONE OF TWO MENTAL HEALTH SPECIALISTS IN THE STATE.

SHE'S FUNDED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF AG AND PROVIDES FREE COUNSELING TO FARMERS AND THEIR FAMILIES.

AND MINNESOTA'S THE ONLY STATE TO DO THIS.

>> WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THAT FARMER SUICIDES ARE TILL HIGHER THAN THE GENERAL POPULATION.

SO, IN MINNESOTA, I THINK OUR DEATH BY SUICIDE ARE RIGHT AROUND 13.8 OUT OF -- PER 100,000 PEOPLE.

>> MONICA HERSELF GREW UP ON A FARM.

SHE SAYS A CULTURE OF SILENCE, ISOLATION AND FEELINGS OF SHAME AROUND MENTAL ILLNESS ARE PERVASIVE AND GENERATIONAL IN FARM FAMILIES.

>> WE DO KNOW THAT DEPRESSION, ANXIETY ARE GENETICALLY LINKED IN MANY CASES.

AND, SO, IT'S NOT UNUSUAL THAT WHEN THERE'S A FAMILY MEMBER THAT HAS DIED BY SUICIDE THAT CURRENT FAMILY MEMBERS ARE GOING TO STRUGGLE WITH IT.

FUTURE FAMILY MEMBERS.

>> BUT FARM ECONOMICS ARE NO LONGER A MATTER OF PERSONAL GRIT.

VOLATILE MARKETS, FREQUENT, INTENSE WEATHER EVENTS, AND CHANGING TECHNOLOGY HAS ALTERED THE FAMILY FARM.

MONICA SAYS IN THE PAST FOUR YEARS, ATTITUDES ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH ARE CHANGING, TOO.

>> I SEE MORE OF AN OPENNESS IN OUR FARM FAMILIES ABOUT RECOGNIZING WARNING SIGNS AND THEN IN REACHING OUT AND TALKING ABOUT IT.

>> SHE SAYS FARMERS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT RESOURCE ON THE FARM, BUT THEY OFTEN PUT THEIR OWN NEEDS LAST.

THE WARNING SIGNS ARE IN THE CALLS.

>> I THINK IT WOULD BE REALISTIC TO SAY EVERY ONE IN TEN ARE IN SOME STAGE OF HAVING THOUGHTS OF SUICIDE.

>> THIS HITS CLOSE TO HOME FOR EMILY, THE FATHER OF A COLLEGE CLASSMATE DIED BY SUICIDE.

>> THAT WAS A REALLY BIG MOMENT FOR ME AND THINKING ABOUT THIS RELATIONSHIP OF SAFETY AND HEALTH AND HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS ON A FARM.

>> EMILY HELPS ORGANIZE FARM COUPLE RETREATS AROUND THE STATE.

>> BASICALLY WE BRING FARM COUPLES TOGETHER FOR AN OVERNIGHT AT A HOTEL.

IT'S A REALLY KIND OF INTENSIVE WORKSHOP WHERE WE TAKE THEM THROUGH COMMUNICATION AND THEY DO PERSONALITY ASSESSMENTS AND THEY LEARN ABOUT GOAL SETTING AS A COUPLE AND A FAMILY.

>> EMILY ALSO WORKS TO HELP FARMERS UILD MASTERY SKILLS, TO RECOGNIZE THAT SOME THINGS LIKE THE WEATHER AND MARKETS ARE BEYOND THEIR CONTROL.

AND TO, INSTEAD, FOCUS ON WHAT THEY CAN CONTROL.

SHE RECOMMENDS GETTING EIGHT HOURS OF SLEEP AND EATING ENOUGH HEALTHY FOOD.

SET ASIDE TIME FOR YOURSELF, WHETHER IT'S FIVE MINUTES TO READ THE NEWSPAPER OR TAKE A WALK.

TALK TO OTHERS ABOUT HOW YOU'RE FEELING AND ASK FOR HELP IF YOU NEED IT.

>> THERE'S A RESOURCE FOR EVERYBODY.

NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE ON YOUR PATH, THERE'S SOMEONE, THERE'S SOMETHING THAT CAN HELP.

>> AT THE END OF THE DAY, I MEAN, YOU ARE MY BEST FRIEND, AND I MEAN IT.

I'M GLAD YOU'RE HERE WITH ME.

>> THOMAS DUDEN SAYS IT HASN'T BEEN EASY TO TALK OPENLY ABOUT HIS DEPRESSION.

>> I STILL FEEL SHAME ABOUT IT ALL.

I STILL DON'T KNOW WHY I WENT THROUGH IT.

BUT, YOU KNOW, IF I CAN HELP SOMEONE ELSE OUT.

>> HE MATTERED.

HIS LIFE MATTERED.