A good question to start with is “does this community want peer support?” Well, some members do! But unfortunately, they are being faced with the struggle of small-town stigma, and the fear of new and unknown things. That fear is often directed towards the topic of “mental health!” In fact, lots of people end up seeking resources by going towns over to find support. But what about the people who cannot drive, or have no way of getting there? Well, they go online! They find telehealth services–if they have reliable wifi. And what if they don’t? Many rural communities don’t have reliable cell services or wifi. Often then, they seek out accessible public spaces. Most schools are slowly developing informal peer support programs with buddy systems and big sibling groups. But unfortunately, the training provided is bare or nonexistent. Ultimately, too many young people struggling with mental health have very little to no peer support available to them–lonely people feeling unwell in a community with little understanding or peer resources. Suicide rates continue to go up, and stigma grows.

So as a community, we struggle with being stuck in a box. But it’s always possible to open and expand the box: through understanding, educating, and being able to meet us where we are at. Right now, suicide has touched all of our communities–so start the opening of the box there. We are beginning to recognize the importance of resources like peer support. Many young people in rural communities are affected by mental health, but don’t know where to start. It is important that we continue to expand and to provide youth peer support opportunities to these communities, as well as opening pathways for education and training. Rural communities are definitely behind, but just like everything: change is possible and is becoming a reality.

Sources 

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/article-abstract/2749451