Mental Health in Rural Tennessee. An Epidemiological Study of Mental Health Needs of Rural Counties in Tennessee

摘要

This document describes a 1977 community survey of the need for mental health services in nine rural Tennessee counties. The study's conceptual framework is summarized, with attention to the internal and external variables that mediate the effects of stressful life events. A review of the research methodology covers questionnaire development, sampling procedure, interviewer training, and fieldwork procedure. The sample of 713 adults was predominantly white, Protestant, female, and married. Respondents had a median age of 37, a median educational level of 11.6 school years, and a median family income of approximately $11,000. The survey found that about 12 percent of the rural population was psychiatrically high risk and might require some form of service. Impairment was more likely among females, individuals with broken marriages, respondents from lower socioeconomic classes, and older persons. The only exception was depression, which was higher among younger individuals. Other characteristics of the impaired included medical problems, several life change events in the past year, limited internal adaptive capacities, and few external supportive ties. Rural residents generally were not aware of the limited mental health services in their community and were reluctant to seek professional help. They did, however, discuss their problems with other family members, friends, clergymen, or family physicians. The report also examines the literature on relationships between life stress and psychiatric impairment and lay images of and tolerance toward the mentally ill among the respondents. Factors that influence helpseeking are explored. Finally, program planning and research implications of these findings are considered. Tables and over 100 references are provided.