“Sometimes it’s easier for a caller to say, ‘I need someone to look at my books,’ than admit they are struggling with anxiety or depression,” Downes says. “Our trained counselors often find underlying issues to address. We may work with families for years, but in an emergency, of course, we do our best to get help to them immediately.”
Of all of the barriers to accessing mental health care in rural communities, telehealth has helped two in a major way: travel times and stigma….
This has been an enormous change for members of the agriculture community, who according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention commit suicide at a higher rate than any other profession.
“There’s already so much stigma around opioid use and partner violence and when you pair that with living in a rural area where everyone knows everyone, women describe not wanting to go to the clinics,” Campbell says....As IPV and OUD loom on rural communities, Stone suggests people educate themselves about stigma. “If you want to learn more, victim advocacy organizations are amazing. Find one in your community to see if they’re running an education event,” she recommends. “If you don’t feel like it’s a personal issue for you, it’s an issue for your community. We need all the resources in our community to be strong and healthy.”
