Barriers to Health Care for Rural Americans
(Family Features) Rural America is experiencing a mental health emergency. For residents of rural communities, there is evidence of higher rates of mental illness compared to those in urban communities. Suicide rates are 64-68% higher in rural communities compared to urban areas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Yet people who live in rural areas are less likely to access mental health services.
According to findings from a survey of people in rural areas conducted by Russell Research on behalf of nonprofit mental health advocacy organization Rural Minds, a majority (94%) of respondents believe it’s important for policymakers to prioritize greater access to medicines that treat mental illness, yet more than half reported being unfamiliar with the impact policymakers’ decisions have on the development of new mental health treatments.
Compounding the mental health challenges facing rural Americans, 82% of respondents have one or more barriers to accessing health care and mental health treatments. Largely because of distance and availability, 85% would rather get medicines from a local pharmacy than make an appointment at a doctor’s office.