What is it about?
People living in rural areas are less likely to seek help when experiencing mental distress than those living in urban areas. They also have an increased risk of suicide when compared to urban residents. This review article explores the blockers to rural mental health help-seeking, focusing on the help-seeking experiences of rural residents.
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Why is it important?
Understanding the barriers experienced by rural residents when seeking help for mental distress is of key importance when attempting to address inequality in rural/urban mental health care accessibility. Better understanding of the barriers informs the development of facilitators to increase rural mental health help-seeking.
Perspectives
I hope that this review will open up conversations around mental health help-seeking barriers at a policy and practice level, alongside consideration of innovative ways of facilitating help-seeking.
Natalie Cheesmond
University of Newcastle
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Exploring the role of rurality and rural identity in mental health help-seeking behavior: A systematic qualitative review., Rural Mental Health, January 2019, American Psychological Association (APA),
DOI: 10.1037/rmh0000109.
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