Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Mental Health – Resources

Selected recent or important resources focusing on Rural Mental Health.

Behavioral Health: Available Workforce Information and Federal Actions to Help Recruit and Retain Providers
Examines the available information on the behavioral health workforce, including federal data on the number of providers nationwide and the projection of the supply and demand for behavioral health providers in 2030. Identifies key barriers to recruiting and retaining behavioral health providers, as well as actions federal agencies have taken to support recruiting and retaining these providers. Outlines federal loan repayment, scholarship, and training programs designed to address workforce challenges in rural and other underserved areas.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 10/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
view details
Suicide and Self-Harm in Youth Presenting to a US Rural Hospital During COVID-19
Presents a study on rural emergency department utilization and hospital admission for suicide or self-harm in children ages 5 to 17 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Analyzes hospital data from January, 2017 to May 2021. Breaks down data by demographic factors, such as race, gender, and rurality, as well as length of stay and visit type, among other measures.
Author(s): Mary Arakelyan, Jennifer A. Emond, JoAnna K. Leyenaar
Citation: Hospital Pediatrics, 12(10), e336–e342
Date: 10/2022
Type: Document
view details
Changes in the Supply and Rural-Urban Distribution of Social Workers in the U.S., 2014-2021
Describes the distribution of social workers in U.S. counties by rural or urban location and census division. Features statistics with breakdowns by 6 levels of population density and by year. Includes county-level map showing change in social workers per 100,000 population in rural counties, from 2014-2021.
Author(s): CHA Andrilla, SC Woolcock, LA Garberson, DG Patterson
Date: 10/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
view details
Changes in the Supply and Rural-Urban Distribution of Psychologists in the U.S., 2014-2021
Describes the distribution of psychologists in U.S. counties by rural or urban location and census division. Features statistics with breakdowns by 6 levels of population density and by year. Includes county-level map showing change in psychologists per 100,000 population in rural counties, from 2014-2021.
Author(s): CHA Andrilla, SC Woolcock, LA Garberson, DG Patterson
Date: 10/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
view details
Changes in the Supply and Rural-Urban Distribution of Psychiatrists in the U.S., 1995-2019
Describes the distribution of psychiatrists in U.S. counties by rural or urban location and census division. Features statistics with breakdowns by 6 levels of population density and by year. Includes county-level map showing change in psychiatrists per 100,000 population in rural counties, from 1995-2019.
Author(s): CHA Andrilla, SC Woolcock, LA Garberson, DG Patterson
Date: 10/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
view details
Changes in the Supply and Rural-Urban Distribution of Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners in the U.S., 2014-2021
Describes the distribution of psychiatric nurse practitioners in U.S. counties by rural or urban location and census division. Features statistics with breakdowns by 6 levels of population density and by year. Includes county-level map showing change in psychiatric nurse practitioners per 100,000 population in rural counties, from 2014-2021.
Author(s): CHA Andrilla, SC Woolcock, LA Garberson, DG Patterson
Date: 10/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
view details
Changes in the Supply and Rural-Urban Distribution of Counselors in the U.S., 2014-2021
Describes the distribution of various types of counselors in U.S. counties by rural or urban location and census division. Features statistics with breakdowns by 6 levels of population density and by year. Includes county-level map showing change in counselors per 100,000 population in rural counties, from 2014-2021.
Author(s): CHA Andrilla, SC Woolcock, LA Garberson, DG Patterson
Date: 10/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
view details
Rural Depopulation and the Rural-Urban Gap in Cognitive Functioning Among Older Adults
Presents a study on the disparities in cognitive health older adults in rural versus urban populations. Breaks down data by age, race, marital status, and education, among other measures. Explores how depopulation correlates with cognitive functioning and compares the effect in rural and urban populations.
Author(s): Rebecca Glauber
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 38(4), 696-704
Date: 09/2022
Type: Document
view details
Rural-Urban Differences in Child and Adolescent Access to and Receipt of Mental Health Services Prior to and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Results from the National Survey of Children's Health
Policy brief comparing rural-urban differences in access to and receipt of mental health services, to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on service accessibility and utilization in different geographic settings. Analyzes data from a large, national sample of children and adolescents to examine inter-group similarities and differences and offer considerations for alleviating the youth mental health crisis. Features statistics with breakdowns by urban and rural locations.
Author(s): Kristen Figas, Theodoros Giannouchos, Elizabeth Crouch
Date: 09/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural and Minority Health Research Center (formerly the South Carolina Rural Health Research Center)
view details
Examining the Burden of Public Stigma Associated with Mental Illness in the Rural United States
Policy brief documenting the burden of public stigma associated with mental illness in rural communities compared with nonrural areas. Features demographics and statistics on stigmatizing attitudes and beliefs with breakdowns by rurality, gender, race and ethnicity, and age.
Author(s): Michael Meit, Kate Beatty, Stephanie Mathis, Justin Kearley, Amy Wahlquist
Date: 09/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Equity Research Center
view details

Additional resources are available related to this guide. See the full list of resources by topic for:


Last Updated: 3/13/2024