Proposed Federal Cuts Put Rural Behavioral Health Resources on the Line - The Daily Yonder
“We’re not being extremist when we say that there is a mental health crisis in rural America,” said Don Hannaford, vice president of public policy at Rural Minds, a nonprofit advocating for rural mental health equity.
Rural areas face a serious mental health care gap, with similar rates of mental illness as urban areas but nearly double the suicide rate, fewer primary care providers, and slower workforce growth. Sixty-five percent of rural counties lack a psychiatrist, 81% lack a psychiatric nurse practitioner, and 47% lack a psychologist.
Rural communities also face a 45% higher opioid overdose rate than urban areas, yet only 14% of behavioral health facilities are rural, and fewer than half treat substance use disorders.