Trends in mental health care utilization in rural and nonrural areas, 2019-2023

IF 2.7 3区医学 Q2 HEALTH CARE SCIENCES & SERVICES

Journal of Rural Health Pub Date : 2025-08-23 DOI:10.1111/jrh.70074

Bryce J. Stanley PhD

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Purpose

The recent increase in mental health care providers offering telehealth may improve access by reducing travel costs, particularly for those in rural areas. This paper seeks to understand how mental health care utilization changed from 2019 to 2023 for rural and nonrural areas.

Methods

This study uses data from the National Health Interview Survey for 2019 and 2021-2023 (n = 118,652). To adjust the utilization rates for sociodemographic factors, a probit model with survey weights is used. For each year, the adjusted percentage of rural and nonrural populations receiving any mental health care in the past year is reported. Changes in demographic characteristics of those receiving care are also discussed.

Findings

This study finds that both rural and nonrural populations experienced large increases in adjusted mental health care utilization rates from 2019 to 2023. Utilization rates in rural areas grew 3.72 percentage points, from 9.35% (95% CI: 8.85-9.84) in 2019 to 13.07% (95% CI: 12.86-13.28) in 2023. For nonrural areas, utilization rates increased 4.40 percentage points, from 12.06% (95% CI: 11.79-12.74) in 2019 to 16.46% (95% CI: 15.82-17.11) in 2023.

Conclusion

Rural populations utilize less mental health care than nonrural populations, but both saw a substantial increase from 2019 to 2023. While telehealth may particularly benefit rural areas, these data suggest a larger increase in utilization for nonrural respondents. Future work is needed to better understand remote mental health care and rural populations.

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2019-2023年农村和非农村地区精神卫生保健利用趋势

目的最近提供远程医疗服务的精神卫生保健提供者的增加可以通过降低旅行费用，特别是农村地区的旅行费用，改善获得远程医疗服务的机会。本文旨在了解2019 - 2023年农村和非农村地区精神卫生保健利用的变化情况。方法本研究使用2019年和2021-2023年全国健康访谈调查数据（n = 118,652）。为了调整社会人口因素的利用率，使用了带有调查权重的概率模型。每年报告过去一年接受任何精神保健的农村和非农村人口的调整后百分比。还讨论了接受护理者人口统计学特征的变化。本研究发现，2019年至2023年，农村和非农村人口的调整后精神卫生保健使用率均大幅上升。农村地区的利用率增长了3.72个百分点，从2019年的9.35% （95% CI: 8.85-9.84）增长到2023年的13.07% （95% CI: 12.86-13.28）。在非农村地区，利用率提高了4.40个百分点，从2019年的12.06% （95% CI: 11.79-12.74）提高到2023年的16.46% （95% CI: 15.82-17.11）。结论农村人口的精神卫生保健使用率低于非农村人口，但从2019年到2023年，农村人口和非农村人口的精神卫生保健使用率均大幅上升。虽然远程保健可能特别有利于农村地区，但这些数据表明，非农村应答者利用远程保健的比例有较大提高。未来的工作需要更好地了解偏远地区的精神卫生保健和农村人口。

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来源期刊

Journal of Rural Health 医学-公共卫生、环境卫生与职业卫生

CiteScore

7.60

自引率

6.10%

发文量

审稿时长

>12 weeks

期刊介绍： The Journal of Rural Health, a quarterly journal published by the NRHA, offers a variety of original research relevant and important to rural health. Some examples include evaluations, case studies, and analyses related to health status and behavior, as well as to health work force, policy and access issues. Quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods studies are welcome. Highest priority is given to manuscripts that reflect scholarly quality, demonstrate methodological rigor, and emphasize practical implications. The journal also publishes articles with an international rural health perspective, commentaries, book reviews and letters.