Challenges and Ethical Implications in Rural Community Mental Health: The Role of Mental Health Providers.

This manuscript reviews the unique challenges, barriers, and ethical implications of providing mental health services in rural and underserved areas. Community mental health centers in rural areas are often underserved due to shortages of mental health providers and limited resources. Individuals living in rural areas are at increased risk of developing mental health condition with limited access to mental health clinicians and healthcare facilities.

Primary care integration in rural areas: A community-focused approach.

Current and developing models of integrated behavioral health service delivery have proven successful for the general population; however, these approaches may not sufficiently address the unique needs of individuals living in rural and remote areas. For all communities to benefit from the opportunities that the current trend toward integration has provided, it is imperative that cultural and contextual factors be considered determining features in care delivery. Rural integrated primary care practice requires specific training, expertise, and adjustments to service delivery and intervention to best meet the needs of rural and underserved communities.

Physician wellness in rural America: a review.

Objective: The primary purpose of this article is to review the unique wellness factors that affect physicians practicing in rural communities. Research has indicated that rural communities often struggle to attract and retain primary care physicians and numerous wellness factors impact these attraction/ retention rates.

Method: Articles selected for inclusion in this review were determined based upon their relevance to rural physicians, overall wellness factors of physicians, and recruitment and retention of physicians in rural communities.