Recently, the U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued an advisory on youth mental health, saying the pandemic has increased mental health issues in the country’s children. The report said living in rural areas and having limited access to school or accessing mental health services puts rural children at greater risk of having mental health challenges. “Since the pandemic began, rates of psychological distress among young people, including symptoms of anxiety, depression, and other mental health disorders, have increased,” the advisory said.