Elaine T. Jurkowski, PhD, School of Social Work, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Quigley 4, M/C 4329, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale, IL 62901, (618) 453-2243, etjurkow@siu.edu

The U.S. Surgeon General (1999) suggests that disability due to mental illness in individuals over 65 will become a major public health problem in the near future because of demographic changes. Services for older adults are insufficient and fragmented, and are often divided between systems of physical health, mental health and social services (DHHS, 1999). This problem is magnified in rural communities because of the various barriers which play a role in accessing care for rural residents This study examined the efficacy of mental health services from the vantage point of the aged consumer within a number of rural communities through the Health Belief model (HBM). This theoretical framework was used to identify the benefits of the service delivery process, and to identify barriers to service utilization. A survey questionnaire administered face to face using nine randomly selected senior nutrition sites to secure a sample of 350 subjects. Descriptive statistics, chi square, multiple and hierarchal linear regression were used in the analysis. Findings suggest that there are many misconceptions about what constitutes mental health versus mental illness, and mental health issues are too often perceived to be a function of aging rather than related to impairment. Consumer input is vital in order to ensure services are relevant and timely. The importance of this partnership is further amplified through the President Bush’s recent Freedom Commission on Mental Health (April 3, 2003) where goals outlined include consumer and family driven mental health care, and the elimination of access disparities, particularly within rural communities.

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