RURAL MENTAL-HEALTH LEADERS PERCEPTIONS OF STIGMA AND COMMUNITY ISSUES

This paper provides a description of the attitudes of rural leaders to ward mental health issues using data collected in two rural counties ( one in Virginia and one in North Carolina). Study participants (N=63) are individuals identified as leaders making a significant positive co ntribution to mental health issues in each county. While the counties were matched on a number of demographic characteristics, the counties had one difference believed important: one had a county mental health center located within the county boundary while the other had no in-co unty mental health center. The study found that rural leaders believed that other community members held attitudes toward mentally ill perso ns that were more discriminatory than their own. In addition, rural le nders expressed that mental health teas a move important concern to th em than if was to the community as a whole. Finally, the importance pl aced on issues of importance to the community and the resulting issue of priority of relevance varied in response to the occupation of respo ndents. The study presents an approach to understanding how occupation al structures affect community issue priorities among rural leaders.