With the purpose of identifying the perception regarding the issue of mental health in community leaders in rural areas of southern Chile, a qualitative approach research was carried out in a rural population of the Los Lagos Region; For this, 10 people were selected as informants, 09 women and 01 man, aged between 20 and 60 years old and with different roles to address various experiences and meanings in relation to the topic. The collection of information was carried out during the first semester of 2022, through semi-structured interviews and a focus group, using the grounded theory approach for analysis. The results show the perception of poor access to mental health care, generating a feeling of abandonment and carelessness that cause negative effects on the well-being of the rural population. The participants consider the need to generate public policies in primary care, specifically focused on rural sectors. It is therefore important to consider the particularities of rural communities and isolated sectors when planning mental health actions.