Rural Mental Health Remains a Challenge

Suicide and depression rates are high in rural areas, and mental health is a major focus of the National Rural Health Association. Alan Morgan, CEO of the association, explains some of the barriers that producers face and how they can get help.

“Number one, a culture. I'm the fifth generation from a rural family, and I know you just you don't go see a behavioral health specialist. It just still isn't socially acceptable, even though you see the data and and not reaching out and seeing health care when you need it, it has a dramatic, dramatic increase in mortality as a result of that.”

One major barrier to care for farmers is finding time in their busy schedules. Another is the stigma of others finding out. Morgan says telehealth offers a practical and private solution.

“Local rural clinicians in their practice, they will employ telehealth, telebehavioral health so you're able to go see your doctor. It looks like a normal visit. You go on back, but they have a special room back there where they can just beam in a licensed behavioral health specialist, so that way you can see the professional that you need. But without that intervention, it's a huge problem. So it's, again, the dangers of farming and ranching. It's the stresses of it. It's a lack of resources to treat that it's the culture.”

Alan Morgan, CEO of the National Rural Health Association.