Copy this CollectionSuicide remains among the top ten causes of death in the United States. Overall, rural counties in the United States suffer deaths from suicide (17.3 per 100,000 residents) at a rate consistently higher than urban counties (14.86 per 100,000 in small metro areas and 11.92 per 100,000 in large metro areas). And within rural demographics, Native American communities face even grimmer statistics. While the overall rate of suicides (deaths per 100,000) on reservations exceeds the rural average, the numbers are even higher among youth in Native communities (a staggering 34.1 per 100,000). The CDC further cautions that these figures are likely to be underreported, as native communities suffer from historically poor documentation and representation.
The primary challenges facing rural mental health care are accessibility, availability, and acceptability. Geographic isolation and poor social integration greatly increase the risk of suicide, while barriers to health care access, social stigma, and a shortage of mental health care professionals limit the possibilities for care and treatment.
The articles in this collection focus on efforts to improve the accessibility, availability, and acceptability of mental health care in rural communities. Fixes like telemedicine, for instance, can easily connect patients with a specialist miles away. But while this can benefit the elderly, or rural residents without reliable transportation, the most successful long-term initiatives enroll multiple stakeholders from within a community.
Explore the stories below for more on these initiatives, and others, including a model program from Scandinavia that is having an impact on rural communities in the US!
