Advocating for the Mental Health Needs of Children Living in Rural Poverty

Abstract

A person's mental health involves their social, psychological, and emotional wellness, all of which are important to their development. Lack of resources and access to effective mental health services can have a negative impact on the mental health of children residing in poverty-stricken rural communities. In advocating for this population, the authors have highlighted five factors that work as barriers in the mental health of children living in rural poverty. These factors were identified as early development, healthcare accessibility, parental/caretaker's educational level, educational system, and mental health stigma and stress. Furthermore, the authors presented a multi-layered approach for addressing these barriers. The components of the multi-layered approach include school-based resources, community-based resources, medical-based resources, and government-based resources. A case illustration is used to demonstrate the practical application of one aspect of the multi-layered approach – the school-based resources. Lastly, the authors stated that more research is needed for this population in regard to the effects of rural poverty on the mental health of children.