Like the many other rural southern states on this list, Arkansas consistently ranks among the worst in the nation on several measures of mental health, especially among young adults.



Young Arkansans have a dedicated advocate in their corner, however. The state’s first lady, Ginger Beebe, has taken up mental health care for young people as a cause. In 2007, Beebe—who lost a son-in-law and a friend to

suicide—went on a “listening tour,” in which she talked with families who have been affected by mental illness. “They have such courage and they go through so many struggles,” Beebe told the Associated Press (AP).