AUGUSTA, Maine (WGME) – A Maine lawmaker is hoping to answer the call to help workers in outdoor industries.
A state senator plans to submit a bill in Augusta which would seek to address a lack of mental health resources.
Democrat Senator Henry Ingwersen represents York. He is on the Health and Human Services Committee as well as Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry Committee. He believes legislation would help reduce a stigma surrounding mental health.
“I have a big wonder if this may be more prevalent than we realize in the state of Maine,” Ingwersen said.
Maine is one of the most rural states in the country, and it heavily relies on so-called heritage industries. That encompasses outdoor jobs like fishing, logging, and farming. But Ingwersen says employees in these lines of work face many challenges. That includes intense physical labor in all kinds of weather conditions, and the stress of meeting deadlines.
In Maine, Ingwersen says the industries are heavily male dominated. He says he’s gotten feedback from workers who say they don’t know where to turn for wellness resources, and they feel too afraid to ask for help.
Recent data from the CDC shows 80 percent of all suicides in 2023 involved men.
Ingwersen says mental health hits close to home for him. He has seen family members of colleagues struggle with mental health. In one case, he says a lobsterman took his own life.
“Men, we’ve been taught to hold it in and that to buck it up, get out there and get fishing. or if it’s just the fact that it’s rural and independent and you can take care of yourself,” Ingwersen said. “I think that might be some of the problem.”
Ingwersen says his bill would create a group, which would come up with solutions to mental health and wellness in heritage industries. The group would include workers in these industries, as well as officials from the departments of agriculture, fisheries, and health and human services.