National Rural Health Day
November 15 was National Rural Health Day!
Over 60 million Americans live in rural and frontier communities. Rural communities are wonderful places to live and work, but these communities also have unique healthcare needs, which is why the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health sets aside the third Thursday of every November to celebrate National Rural Health Day!
Rural communities provide the rest of the country with a wealth of services and commodities. But today more than ever, rural communities must address accessibility issues, a lack of healthcare providers, the needs of an aging population suffering from a greater number of chronic conditions, and larger percentages of un- and underinsured citizens.
The Mental Health Association in Delaware wants to do its part in contributing to the mental wellbeing of rural Delawareans. We recently attended the University of Delaware’s Health and Farm Vitality Forum held on Thursday, September 20. The Forum was intended to connect individuals and groups and begin a dialogue to tackle those issues of health through partnerships and collaborative problem-solving. Participants heard presentations and then worked together in small groups to reflect on issues that can realistically be addressed, and to determine potential solutions and next steps.
We learned that individuals in rural, farming areas have a rate of suicide which is higher than the general population and that some of the contributing factors may be high rates of on-the-job injury, economic stressors, and a lack of access to mental health and substance abuse health care, whether resulting from inadequate health insurance, fewer providers within a reasonable distance, or stigma regarding seeking out those services.
We also learned that while farmers may not seek out clinical services for behavioral health care, they may be inclined to access free, confidential support, such as a call or text line. We learned that nearly every farming family in Delaware reads local farm journals, so we placed ads in these journals with the Crisis Text Line (a free, confidential text line that connects texters to trained counselors). The ads were supported and funded by Project SAFETY, the federal Garrett Lee Smith Grant, provided by the Division of Prevention and Behavioral Health Services.
We plan to continue to do our small part for rural Delaware by providing Mental Health First Aid training and stress management training in Sussex County, targeting the Agricultural Community. We hope to help reduce stigma, and offer tools for individuals to support one another by recognizing signs and symptoms of mental health disorders and connect to resources that can help.
Join us today to “Celebrate the Power of Rural” by honoring the selfless, community-minded, “can do” spirit that prevails in rural America, and by working together to address rural healthcare challenges and promote mental wellness in rural Delaware.