Research on Rural and Urban Mental Health: Emotional Resilience, Suicide Prevention and Substance Use Disorder
A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Behavioral and Mental Health".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 652
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Mental health care needs are often not met in many rural communities because adequate services are not present. Providing mental health services can be challenging in rural areas. Mental illness is reported as one of the determinants of suicide. Suicide rates vary greatly between countries and territories, impacted by factors such as socioeconomic status, cultural views, mental health resources, and societal pressures. Countries with the highest suicide rates frequently suffer severe economic hardships and inadequate access to mental health services. Countries in Eastern Europe and parts of Asia have historically had high suicide rates. In contrast, some of the countries with the lowest suicide rates may have robust social support networks and easy access to mental health care, for example, Canada and Greece. Similarly, African countries such as Lesotho, South Africa, and Zimbabwe have the highest suicide rates. Research demonstrates that the prevalence of suicide is higher in rural areas than in urban areas, and the higher prevalence may result from psychosocial, behavioral, and demographic variables and environmental conditions.
Regardless of the high suicide rate, there is decreased mental health care access in rural settings, and this can be addressed with telepsychiatry. There is a correlation between substance use and suicidal behaviors. Substance use has long been prominent in rural communities, despite being widely considered as an inner-city problem. Rural adults are more likely to use tobacco, whereas opioid usage has increased in towns. Rural teens and young adults consume alcohol at a higher rate than their urban counterparts. This issue accepts research on mental health services and telemental health. Studies on new challenges, approaches, and strategies for suicide prevention and substance use disorders, as well as experiences regarding suicide prevention and substance use disorders, are invited.
Prof. Dr. Hilda Shilubane
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- stress
- coping strategies
- substance use
- suicide prevention
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