Across communities in Wisconsin, young people are sounding a warning: Their mental health is struggling. Half of Wisconsin high schoolers reported feeling anxious, a third depressed and a fifth self-harming, according to the Youth Risk Behavior Survey in 2021,
Antigo, a town of about 8,000 and the county seat of Langlade County, is no different. Young people here need support for their mental health, just as their urban and suburban counterparts do. But a lack of mental health resources in rural areas like Antigo and persisting negative attitudes about mental illness and wellness can get in the way.
Faced with these obstacles, however, the kids themselves and adults who care about them are working to create positive change in their community.
Rural schools and communities short on money, mental health personnel
“One of the clearest and biggest challenges for rural schools is a lack of resources,” said Department of Public Instruction communications director Chris Bucher.
That lack of resources can be seen in more than just money; it also includes a shortage of mental health professionals such as student services staff or clinicians in the community, Bucher said. In addition, rural communities might also not have as many of the social determinants of good mental health, such as healthcare access and economic stability.
Dillon Gretzinger, a Northwoods native who is CEO of the Boys and Girls Club of the Northwoods, has come face-to-face with that personnel shortage himself. Even though the club serves 60 to 100 children, depending on the season, finding and retaining qualified individuals to help them is “extremely difficult” when places like Walmart and Kwik Trip can pay more, he said.
The club’s social-emotional learning specialist, Kristi Auner, said she is on staff because she is committed to serving her community, but she acknowledged that mental health professionals often leave small towns for better opportunities elsewhere.
Meanwhile, at Antigo High School, only two counselors serve about 800 students in grades eight through 12. The national recommended ratio of school counselors to students is 1:250, according to the American School Counselor Association. In Wisconsin, the average ratio in 2022-23 was 1:366.
“(The counselors) really do care,” said Antigo High School junior Ashley Pranke. “They just can’t do it all.”
Bucher said some school districts have successfully implemented telehealth services, which can bring counseling and therapy to children and adolescents who live far away from providers. But telehealth can be an imperfect solution, according to Tracy Schlegel, NAMI of the Northwoods executive director.
Zoom meetings with a counselor, for example, can keep the counselor from observing some mental health symptoms, such as a person bouncing a knee or moving feet out of anxiety or nervousness, Schlegel explained. As for the child or teenager seeking help, Schlegel said, parents have told her telehealth-only services can result in a lower sense of connection with, and accountability to, the counselor.
“Sometimes we get some barriers when all we have is a little bit of screen time every now and again,” Schlegel said.
Attitudes about mental health and wellness still changing in Northwoods
Despite changing attitudes about mental health in the broader culture, people in rural areas still experience “a lot of discomfort” when talking about mental illness and wellness, Schlegel said.
“We’re talking about very tight-knit communities where people know everyone,” she said. “It’s sometimes difficult to say, ‘Hey, this is what’s going on with me. Where do I get help?'”
Instead of getting help, she added, “it’s really easy for us to self-medicate in Wisconsin because it’s called ‘bar-hopping.'”
In 2023, Langlade County’s health rankings revealed that 28% of adults reporting binge or heavy drinking (usually defined as four to five drinks over two hours). Statewide, 26% of adults report binge or heavy drinking.
Rural high schoolers say they face misunderstandings about mental health in their classrooms and community
Antigo high schoolers also talked about advocating for mental health in the face of misunderstanding from friends, classmates and others in their life.
They’ve experienced casual racism and homophobia, as well as well-meaning friends and classmates who don’t always understand that what they say can be hurtful.
And they’ve had to correct their classmates’ misconceptions about the nature of some mental illnesses, such as depression.
“A lot of people think depression is just being sad all the time,” Pranke said, “but it can be when you’re just kind of there. You just kind of have to live with it.”
Teens also have noticed a considerable gender gap in awareness of mental health. “A lot of guys grow up thinking boys don’t cry,” said junior Alyssa Birchfield.
They stressed the importance of addressing mental health issues while they’re still in school. Freshman Natalee Wolf said that once high school ends, “our mental health isn’t just going to regenerate. It’s going to stay the same unless you can find a way to increase it.”
Working toward change while they’re still in school
While they’re still in school, however, some students are already taking action.
One new initiative is the NAMI-sponsored Raise Your Voice Clubs in high schools statewide. Antigo’s is one of the most recent; the club has about eight members and is in its second year. Pranke, Birchfield and Wolf are all members of the club.
The group is still experimenting with the best approach to advocacy at school, but its members have already done that work at the state level. Last fall, they traveled to Madison with other area Raise Your Voice groups and talked to legislators.
“I really love that when we’re doing something as a group, our students can see that mental health affects everyone,” said club facilitator and school social worker Amanda Mohr.
In the meantime, the club functions as a place to discuss mental health needs and concerns the high schoolers have in a place where those kinds of spaces can be hard to find.
“(The club) is for people to say what they feel without judgment, rather than suffering in silence,” said senior Evie Trabant McKenna, another member of the club.
Schlegel, the Northwoods NAMI executive director, believes in the clubs’ long-term potential to raise up leaders who can advocate for mental health in their communities.
“Our kids are more likely to use their imagination, and use it to be able to see how things are for someone, and how they could be different for someone, and what’s really important,” Schlegel said.
DPI: An ‘all hands on deck’ approach can help address the need for already-scarce mental health resources
At the Boys and Girls Club of the Northwoods, Auner, a social-emotional learning specialist, helps kids learn to regulate themselves and calm down if they need it; she also teaches classes about coping mechanisms and how to ask a safe adult for help.
The club supports members’ other needs, too, by serving meals, helping students with their homework and giving them a place to pass the time after school. Antigo, Gretzinger said, is fortunate to have a club and an SEL specialist to support its members, and he would like to see the Boys and Girls Club programming expand to nearby cities like Rhinelander.
“It comes down to resources and getting buy-in from the community,” Gretzinger said.
Bucher said an “all-hands-on-deck” approach can help rural school districts and communities support their kids’ mental health and reduce the need for higher-level professional intervention.
The DPI provides several programs and resources to help school administrators begin to educate themselves and their staff, including: Wisconsin Mental Health Literacy Survey for Educators and an accompanying list of mental health literacy resources, Mental Health Literacy talking points for School Leaders and an Organizational Mental Health Literacy Reflection Tool.
Also important, Bucher said, is for schools to build a comprehensive school mental health system, which helps rural schools use their limited resources most efficiently.
More:State superintendent makes record $304 million ask for youth mental health
In the meantime, Gretzinger said, the Boys and Girls Club works closely with the Antigo School District to help students who need it most, including providing referrals to clinics. “There’s not enough resources to divide and conquer,” he said.
Whether or not formal programming is in place, people in these communities have one thing in common: “We all want to see our children thrive,” Auner said.
Gretzinger said, “Anyone can change a kid’s life at any moment by making them feel seen and heard and noticed.”
One of the most important things adults can do is “lead by example,” Schlegel said, and teach kids that “mental health and physical health are intertwined.”
She added, “There’s no having one without the other.”
Rebecca Loroff is a K-12 education reporter for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin. She welcomes story tips and feedback. Contact her at [email protected].
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