COUNTY FUNDING OF MENTAL-HEALTH-SERVICES IN A RURAL STATE

Relationships between funding for mental illness in Iowa counties and county wealth, political activism, need for public services, rural cul ture, and policy makers' attitudes were examined. Counties with fewer people, lower proportions of persons with college education, higher pr oportions of rural and elderly residents, higher rates of poverty, and a higher proportion of income from farms spent less money on mental h ealth sen ices. Regression analysis indicated that the size of the cou nt) population and the proportion of persons receiving Medicaid funds explained 96 percent of the variation between county budgets.