farming has decreased markedly over the past fifty
years, leading the young and better educated to mi-
grate to urban settings. Also, more disabled persons
tend to migrate to centers where more specialized
services are available. As a result, the rural population
is older, less educated, socially conservative, and liv-
ing longer than its urban counterpart. Diagnostically,
this trend appears linked to heightened levels of af-
fective and alcohol-related disorders. Understaffed
and geographically stretched providers of health ser-
vices must overcome resistance to acknowledging
emotional disorders, seeking treatment, and comply-
ing with interventions for children. Rural providers
tend to be general practitioners who themselves expe-
rience isolation, as increasing demands for services
and a constant need to overcome stigma are the
norm. As a result, rural children may receive diagno-
ses and treatment only after emotional problems have
become more advanced.
See also: POVERTY
Bibliography
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Mental Health: A
Report of the Surgeon General. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services, Center for Mental Health Ser-
vices, National Institutes of Health, National Mental Health
Institute, 1999.
Raymond P. Lorion
Michael BlankRURAL CHILDREN 351