"Farmers' Despair Pushes States to Act": Teletherapy in Rural America

"Farmers' Despair Pushes States to Act": Teletherapy in Rural America

On most days, therapist Becky Kopp-Dunham counsels farmers and other clients across 10 North Dakota towns from her home office on a crop and cattle farm in Morehead, Minnesota. She and her colleagues call it “farm-to-farm therapy,” but it’s widely known among medical providers as telehealth delivery of mental health services. It’s just one of the many approaches states are taking to address mental health among rural and agricultural populations, as the need arises against the backdrop of a struggling farm economy. Read the Pew Charitable Trusts Stateline article to learn more about how states are addressing mental health in rural America.