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 often are 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.

According to the USDA Economic Research Service, rural Wisconsinites have a higher rate of incomplete high school education (17% vs. 14.4%) and a higher unemployment rate (5.1% vs. 4.7%) compared to those living in urban areas.  Rural communities have special mental health issues. Rural populations are often isolated and rural areas often lack accessible mental health services. These issues will become more pronounced as more families lose their farms. 

The following resources explain these and other mental health concerns specific to rural areas:

Wisconsin Office of Rural Health
Phone: 608-261-1883
Phone: 800-385-0005 (toll free)

Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative  (owned and operated by thirty-two, rural acute, general medical-surgical hospitals; the Cooperative emphasizes developing an integrated network among freestanding entities)

Rural Communities (SAMHSA's Resource Center to Address Discrimination & Stigma Associated with Mental Illness)

National Association for Rural Mental Health

National Rural Health Association (NRHA)

Rural Assistance Center 

Office of Rural Mental Health Research (National Institute of Mental Health)

Agriwellness  (An Iowa-based non-profit whose mission is to "promote accessible behavioral health services for underserved and at-risk populations affected by rural crisis in agricultural communities." through conferences, trainings, newsletters, and other resources)

Frontier Mental Health Services Resource Network (offers technical assistance to "frontier" counties - those with less than 7 persons per square mile [no Wisconsin county qualifies])