EXCELSIOR SPRINGS – May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and Excelsior Springs Hospital Senior Life Solutions is spreading awareness of the challenges of receiving mental health access in rural areas. Mental illnesses have a similar prevalence in rural and urban environments, but the circumstances and access to treatment are different. Studies also have shown suicide risk is higher in rural areas, making access to help that much more vital. “Suicide rate is near twice as great in the most rural areas of the U.S. compared to the most urban areas,” the Rural Health Information Hub states. “Everyone deserves access to quality mental health care. Helping as many people as possible get the help and treatment they need is what we work towards every day,” Senior Life Solutions Program Director Ethan Kent said. Figuring out a solution starts with identifying problems. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration highlights the foll...