An ISU project may give relief to the many rural families who are experiencing mental health problems due to the weakening economy.

The Iowa Rural Mental Health Project, part of ISU Extension, received an $850,000 grant from Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Sue Ellen Tuttle, communications specialist for family and consumer sciences, said the grant was secured by U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, and the project began Aug. 1.

“The project is going to use the grant to raise awareness about the stress factors impacting rural families,” Tuttle said.

Marilyn Bode, extension families specialist for human development and family studies, said extension workers are working with local mental health counseling agencies to establish information and awareness materials.

“Essentially, the grant will pay for counseling for those people living in a rural environment that are having mental health or anxiety issues due to the rural economy,” she said.

Bode said the services will not just be for farming families.

“These counseling sessions are for anyone who is being affected by the rural economic issues,” she said.

There are several economic issues facing families living in rural areas today, Bode said, including low prices for commodities and low crop outputs.

“There are several farm co-ops taking bankruptcies because the farms can’t support them,” she said.

“When the prices are low on the farms, it affects the businesses in the community.”

The project directors have set a variety of goals for the year-long grant, one of which is investigating the causes of the dwindling rural populations in Iowa, Tuttle said.

“Iowa was ranked 10th in rural populations in the year 2000, and we are currently ranked 30th,” she said.

The project directors also hope to provide general background information on rural stress and to raise awareness of issues affecting rural populations, Tuttle said.

The project will include clergy, social services and schools in the rural communities to create a network of people to respond to the issues, Bode said.

It’s important to set a high standard for the program during its debut year, she said.

“While this is only a one-year-long grant, we are hoping for funding for subsequent years to continue working on this,” Bode said.