Even in the most depressed county in America, stigma around mental illness persists

LOGAN, W.Va. — Sitting on a bench laughing with a co-worker during a morning smoke break, Debra Orcutt quickly raises her hand when asked if she knows anyone dealing with depression.

“I am,” she tells a visitor to the roadside market where she bakes brownies and peanut butter fudge.

Orcutt, 63, has used medication to manage her depression for more than two decades since her son, Kyle, died at age 4 from a congenital illness. “There were days I couldn’t leave the house,” she said.