Rural Suicide: Demographics, Causes, and Treatment Implications

Suicide rates in rural areas are higher than urban areas and growing, with current treatment developments only exacerbating this discrepancy. Within individual factors, both age and gender relate to and intersect with personal values related to self-reliance and attitudes toward mental health difficulties and treatment to increase suicide risk. The lethality ubiquitous in rural environments and occupations is a leading factor in rural suicide rates, with other factors such as race alternately noted to be a key factor but with more mixed findings. The cultural values of rural communities as typically negative toward mental health disclosure and treatment contribute to the disengagement of rural communities from treatment that may otherwise prevent suicides, exacerbating the physical lack of treatment access many rural communities experience. Working within the primary care system alongside increased telehealth utilization are suggested to reduce rural suicide rates.