A leading advocate for mental health and suicide prevention in Kansas credits the state’s Extension service for building connections within communities to help curtail the rise in the suicide rate. From 2011 to 2024, Kansas has seen a 30% increase in terms of the number of suicide losses. Josh Boydston, a client advocate for Kansas Lemon Aid, a statewide program operated by the nonprofit, Six Feet Over, says we’re seeing more evidence of the impacts of suicide in communities. He discusses the work being done by the nonprofit and why Extension is a valued partner.
Sound Living is a weekly public affairs program addressing issues related to families and consumers. It is hosted by Jeff Wichman. Each episode shares the expertise of K-State specialists in fields such as child nutrition, food safety, adult development and aging, youth development, family resource management, physical fitness and more.
Send comments, questions or requests for copies of past programs to ksrenews@ksu.edu.
K‑State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well‑being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K‑State campus in Manhattan.
