Rural women 'in crisis': Letter reveals dark side of farm lifeDOMINICO ZAPATA/FAIRFAX NZ Mary Anne Murphy has shared her story in the hope that more rural women will speak out about the mental health challenges they face. In a pleading letter sent to Rural Women NZ, Mary Anne Murphy calls for more mental health support and funding specifically for rural women. She will send the letter to Rural Health Alliance Aotearoa New Zealand, which is contracted by the Ministry of Health to deliver mental health initiatives. Alliance chief executive Michelle Thompson said more research funding was vital to provide evidence of mental health issues for rural people. "There's the physical isolation, there's the social isolation and there's the mental isolation."

Source: Stuff July 01, 2017 23:37 UTC