Rural America’s Teletherapy Gap: Bridging the Divide in Mental Health Access
Montana is 27x bigger than Connecticut.
Connecticut’s population is 3x Montana’s.
And yet people in urban communities are over 2x more likely to use video-based psychotherapy (teletherapy) than their rural counterparts.
That’s according to a newly published article in JAMA Psychiatry.
You’d think the uptake of teletherapy in Rural America would be far greater than in non-rural communities.
Unfortunately, deep structural issues contribute to the shortfall:
- Poor broadband access.
- Limited mental health literacy.
- Higher uninsured rate.
Telehealth was supposed to bridge the rural-urban care gap. Instead, it’s become yet another source of health inequity in Rural America.
Until we address these structural barriers, the promise of better access to quality care will remain just that - a promise.
Photo Credit: Jack Bell Photography
