Rural Mental Health – News
News stories from the past 60 days.
Oct 30, 2025 - Describes community-wide efforts to combat an increase in suicides in rural Colorado. Highlights a mental health response team comprised of police and a mental health professional. Discusses rural specific drivers of suicide rates.
Source: The Colorado Sun
Oct 17, 2025 - Discusses higher suicide rates for rural residents compared to urban residents and a Louisiana university's online therapy program to address those higher rates. Discusses the program's shift to focus on engaging communities, successes after year 1, and work to address broadband challenges.
Source: WAFB
Oct 12, 2025 - Discusses the experience of rural school counselors as often the only access to mental healthcare for their students. Notes the importance of accounting for rural culture in mental healthcare and the limited representation of rural school counselors in research. Profiles a rural Tennessee school counselor.
Source: Clarksville Online
Oct 7, 2025 - Recently-opened mental health center Sukapi Lodge near Browning, Montana is rooted in Blackfeet culture and unique experiences of Native people. Treatment combines Western therapeutic practices with Blackfeet traditional values.
Source: KRTV
Sep 25, 2025 - Highlights a group of resource-constrained colleges using innovation and collaboration to improve wellness and mental health for their students. Discusses scaling programs designed for larger universities, the strengths and challenges of rural mental health, and collaborating with similar institutions. Notes the early educational successes seen by the program.
Source: The Daily Yonder
Sep 10, 2025 - Highlights suicide statistics for American Indian and Alaska Natives (AI/AN). Offers federal and other resources for people interested in AI/AN-focused suicide prevention.
Source: Native News Online
Sep 9, 2025 - Video highlighting a program offering free access to licensed mental healthcare for students and their parents in a rural Georgia community. Describes common barriers to mental healthcare for rural residents.
Source: WALB News 10
Sep 9, 2025 - Highlights the work of the North Carolina Psychiatry Access Line (NC-PAL), a free phone line allowing medical providers to consult with behavioral health specialists about their patients. Discusses ways in which they are reaching rural communities to increase access to mental health services.
Source: North Carolina Health News
Sep 4, 2025 - Highlights a pilot program in Virginia to authorize Special Conservators of the Peace to respond to mental health issues. Discusses the trend away from using law enforcement as first responders for these calls, noting that departments in rural communities often do not have the resources to respond to these calls.
Source: Virginia Mercury
Last Updated: 10/30/2025