Meeting Needs for Rural Mental Health Services

Bender & Werries (2022) note the devastating impact of COVID on rural communities worldwide. In addition to physical and economic impacts, there have been

obvious impacts on emotional well-being and mental health. The challenges may well have been enhanced by the flight from urban and suburban settings to more

rural ones by people who are accustomed to readily available services. The need for geropsychological services is also predicted to grow over the next decade.

Carpenter et al. (2021) add that, “Life changes that typically occur with aging will interact with societal upheavals (pandemic, civil unrest, economic inequality) to

exacerbate the mental health needs in the current cohort of older adults and the ‘near old’. At the same time, ageism, inequitable access, and financial and policy

constraints may limit health care access.”

Additional mental health needs that are often unmet in rural communities are those related to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Contemporary researchers (e.g.,

Osofsky et al. 2021) often differentiate ACEs into those related to maltreatment (e.g., neglect, emotional, physical or sexual abuse) and those related to household

dysfunction (e.g., food and housing insecurity, substance abuse). Research has consistently found that larger numbers (especially three or more) of ACEs relate to

future depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress symptoms, and substance abuse. Interventions are needed for children and expectant parents so as to curb

generational transmission of ACEs.

Telemental health services have become critical, but come with attendant considerations. Instead of meeting the client in a waiting room with a handshake and an

invitation to a private office, the provider has one opportunity to connect with a client and then must figure out to sustain a relationship when there may never be a

face-to-face meeting. There is also a need for more efficient ways to diagnose clients and provide needed services.