Mental health

Abstract

Appalachia presents striking challenges for the field of mental health. Multiple social and economic stressors, including high rates of unemployment and poverty, low levels of education and health insurance coverage, long travel distances to services, few institutional resources, and cultural differences,a create the conditions for a high prevalence of mental and emotional problems. Yet some types of mental health services tend to be unavailable in the region and, if available, underutilized. Copyright © 2012 by The University Press of Kentucky. All rights reserved.