EXCERPT: “Because she’s a fan of small towns and the people who populate them, psychologist Kristi K. Phillips wants to talk openly about the mental health issues that plague rural communities. As chair of the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Committee on Rural Health, Phillips, who lives with her family in Litchfield and works for Meeker Memorial Hospitals and Clinics, has a front-row seat to the unique impact that modern political and economic crises have on the mental health of rural residents. ‘The stressors of life have had a devastating impact on farmers and farm families,’ Philips said. ‘In rural communities, we’re seeing higher rates of depression, anxiety and suicide. It’s a disturbing trend.’ Phillips chalks up those increased rates of mental illness in part to a general reluctance among small-town residents to talk openly about their mental health — or to seek care from a mental health professional.” FULL STORY: https://fluence-media.co/2DhRuJX
