A pandemic of Body, Mind, and Spirit: The Burden of “Social Distancing” in Rural Communities During an Era of Heightened Suicide Risk

Death by suicide is a serious problem in the United States and rural communities are disproportionally affected by these tragedies.1 According to the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS), suicide rates in rural communities have risen significantly over the past few decades.1 The gap between the s...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of Rural Health 2021, Vol.37 (1), p.207-210
Main Authors: Riblet, Natalie B., Stevens, Susan P., Watts, Bradley V., Shiner, Brian
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Access
Commentaries
Counties
COVID-19
Mental health
Military psychology
Mind and body
Pandemics
psychological resilience
Rates
Risk factors
Rural areas
Rural communities
rural health
Rural population
Social distancing
Social interaction
Social interactions
Social isolation
social support
Stigma
Suicide
Suicides & suicide attempts
Urban areas
Vital statistics
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Summary:Death by suicide is a serious problem in the United States and rural communities are disproportionally affected by these tragedies.1 According to the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS), suicide rates in rural communities have risen significantly over the past few decades.1 The gap between the suicide rates in rural and urban communities is broadening and suicide rates are increasing at a faster rate in rural communities than they are in urban communities.1 For example, between 2010 and 2015, the suicide rates per 100,000 population in nonmetropolitan/rural counties increased by 7.1% compared to 1.6% in urban counties.1 These findings may be explained by factors such as decreased access to mental health resources, stigma, and economic stressors.2 Importantly, social isolation is an ongoing concern in rural areas, worsens mental health, and is a factor in suicide risk. Accordingly, there is an increased emphasis on the need to build social supports or connectedness among communities as a strategy to combat suicide.
ISSN:0890-765X
1748-0361
DOI:10.1111/jrh.12456