WISCONSIN UNITED
for MENTAL HEALTH

Rural America makes up 90% of the United States landmass and is home to approximately 25% of the U.S. population. Despite these proportions, rural issues are often misunderstood, minimized, and not considered in forming national mental health policy. 1

Stigma is particularly intense in rural communities, where anonymity is difficult to maintain.2 The stigma attached to having a mental disorder in a rural area can lead to under-diagnosis and under-treatment of mental disorders among rural residents. Additionally, finding a mental health provider and accessing care is more difficult in rural areas than urban areas, with persons with mental illnesses sometimes spending more time traveling to see a provider than at actual appointments.

Resources for combating stigma in rural areas (fact sheets, articles, and resource organization; from the ADS Center)

1 Report of the President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health

2 Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General (1999)