A non-profit association focused on the mental health of people living in farm and rural communities is hosting a free 1-hour webinar, “Managing Mental Illness in Rural America,” Nov. 8, 7 pm EST.
Hosted by Rural Minds, the webinar will focus on present one rural woman’s experience managing her adult son’s mental illness and overcoming barriers to mental healthcare. The event will also feature a community psychiatrist sharing her expertise treating patients in rural communities.
“Now more than ever, it is vitally important for poultry producers, contract farmers and all other poultry industry workers to look out for their own mental health and that of their coworkers, neighbors, friends and family,” wrote Rural Minds founder, Jeff Winton, in a recent article for Modern Poultry.
He says the Nov. 8 webinar will address common barriers and challenges in rural communities for accessing mental health. These include:
- Difficulty getting an appointment with limited availability of mental health professionals:
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- 20% fewer primary care providers than in cities
- A lack of psychiatrists in 65% of rural counties
- A lack of psychiatric nurse practitioners in 81% of rural counties
- 47% of rural counties lack a psychologist.
- Unreliable, expensive or nonexistent internet service for online video or telehealth appointments
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- 22% to 28% of homes in rural America lack access to broadband internet.
- Time and transportation required for long-distance travel to meet with a mental health professional
- Potential lack of confidentiality in a small, close-knit community
- Feeling of isolation due to lack of access to someone to talk with outside of the community who understands mental health challenges in rural America
For more information about the webinar, click here.
