The Relationship Between Access to Mental Health Counseling and Interest in Rural Telehealth

Telehealth has been proposed as a strategy to reduce disparities in access to mental health counseling in rural areas. The objective of this study was to compare interest in telehealth between rural and urban communities and to identify the factors that impact interest in using telehealth services. A sample of 2,010 respondents completed a cross-sectional survey addressing issues of access to mental counseling and interest in telehealth in both rural and urban areas. Survey data were collected in October-November 2018 from a five-county area in central Illinois. Path modeling was used to test the relationship between rural residence, access to mental health counseling, and interest in telehealth. Rural residents had less access to mental health counseling (85.1% vs. 90.0%) and the internet than their urban counterparts (81.1% vs. 91.7%). However, people in rural communities had more interest in telehealth (β = .45, p < .01) and access to mental health counseling was a predictor for interest in telehealth (β = −.53, p < .01). This study found that rural residents, especially younger adults and those who face barriers to accessing mental health counseling, are the most interested in telehealth. Policies regarding availability of broadband platforms and expanding telehealth in rural areas may help alleviate issues related to access to mental health counseling in rural areas. Public Health Significance Statement This study describes the use of telehealth and finds that people living in rural communities are interested in use of these services for mental health care.