Mental Health, Addiction Top Rural Health Concerns — Lancaster Farming
By Betsy E. Huber, National Grange President
For the first time in 20 years, rural stakeholders say mental health and addiction will be more pressing over the next several years than access to basic health care.
For the past two decades, the biggest issue in the survey was access to health care. But now, mental health ranks No. 1 and addiction ranks No. 2, regardless of age, race, occupation or region of the country.
For rural and small-town grassroots organizations, like the Grange, these survey results tend to validate the trends we’ve been observing for several years.
For instance, suicide rates are 68% higher among rural residents than major metropolitan areas, over 60% of rural counties have no psychiatrist, there are 20% fewer primary care doctors in rural counties than urban counties, and the stigma surrounding mental health challenges in rural America is huge.
To address these issues, the Grange has partnered with the organization Rural Minds, a nonprofit whose mission is to serve as an informed voice for mental health in rural America and to provide mental health information and resources.