Mental Health Care for Rural Veterans: A Systematic Literature Review, Descriptive Analysis, and Future Directions

This manuscript examines the state-of-the-state of mental health care for rural veterans through a systematic literature review. Descriptive analysis is presented regarding the quantity and quality of the current literature base including the number of articles by year published, definitions of rurality, rural subpopulations of focus, and treatment modalities. Current findings are discussed including delivery of intervention services via telehealth, emphasis on the study of specific mental health disorders, and inconsistency regarding reporting of rural definition. Areas for future research including suicide/suicide prevention, nonprescription opioid use, and web-based/online treatment modalities are discussed. Finally, a call to action is made for rural practitioners to collaborate with specialized veteran researchers and/or universities to increase targeted, prospective research.