The psychological challenges of rural living

People who endure the daily hassles of big cities often romanticize life in the country. But rural living is not necessarily the carefree, idyllic experience that many people imagine, said Emily Willroth, an assistant professor of psychological and brain sciences in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis. Willroth co-authored a study in the Journal of Personality suggesting that people in rural areas face unique challenges that may shape their personalities and psychological well-being.

Black People in Rural Areas Have Greater Mental Health Resiliency Than White People

Black people living in rural areas of North Carolina were found to have better mental health than white people despite their exposure to various forms of racism and discrimination. This paradoxical finding was reported by researchers at Georgetown University and their colleagues in the journal Social Science & Medicine: Mental Health in March 2023.

Study from “Black Tuesday” bushfires finds link to PTSD

New research published in the Australian Journal of Rural Health has shown people who are forced to relocate after a bushfire are at a higher risk of suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, otherwise known as PTSD. Led by Associate Professor Venkatesan Thiruvenkatarajan from the University of Adelaide, and Dr Richard Watts from Flinders University, the researchers spoke with people affected by the 2005 “Black Tuesday” Eyre Peninsula bushfires, which took nine lives, destroyed 93 homes and blackened 80,000 hectares of land near Port Lincoln on 11 January, 2005.

UCI study examines broad impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on food insecurity among rural, Latino immigrants in California

A recent study led by Denise Diaz Payán, PhD, MPP, corresponding author and assistant professor of health, society, and behavior at the UCI Program in Public Health, examined how household food environments of rural Latino immigrants were impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how access to nutritional food is complicated by barriers to government assistance programs.

Findings are published online in the journal Nutrients.

Self-inflicted Firearm Injuries Three Times More Common in Rural Youth

A national study published in the Journal of Pediatrics found that Emergency Department (ED) visits by youth for self-harm were nearly 40 percent higher in rural areas compared to urban settings. Strikingly, ED visits by youth for self-inflicted firearm injuries were three times more common in rural areas. Youth from rural areas presenting to the ED for suicidal ideation or self-harm also were more likely to need to be transferred to another hospital for care, which underscores the insufficient mental health resources in rural hospitals.

New Book Charts Rural America’s Pathways to College and Career

More than thirty years ago, college admissions expert Rick Dalton founded the nonprofit CFES Brilliant Pathways to train underserved students to become college- and career-ready. Little did he know at the time that a pandemic would blow open an opportunity gap that disproportionately affected low-income students, particularly in rural America. His latest book explains how community stakeholders throughout the nation can help rural students set and achieve their goals.

The rise of ‘Zoom Towns’ in the rural west

COVID-19 has expedited a trend of migration into western gateway communities—remote workers are fleeing cities to ride out the pandemic. A new study using data from 2018 found that growing populations caused urgent planning pressures, and officials felt unprepared to respond to and prepare for problems associated with rapid growth.

Survey of rural Iowa communities will gauge pandemic response

Residents in 70 rural Iowa communities soon will receive surveys that will help to inform state and federal officials as they orchestrate the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey, orchestrated by researchers at Iowa State University and the University of Iowa, will cover topics ranging from the availability of health care services to the reliability of high-speed internet to the economic stresses placed on a community by the pandemic.

Rutgers Expert Can Discuss Creating Wildlife Habitat in Your Yard

New Brunswick, N.J. (June 15, 2020) – Kathleen Kerwin, a wildlife expert at Rutgers University–New Brunswick, is available for interviews on how to create wildlife habitat in your yard. “Creating backyard habitat for wildlife is a relatively easy way homeowners…

Rural dwellers who value self-reliance don’t take COVID-19 seriously

People in rural areas who place heavy importance on self-reliance and define health by their ability to work might take the COVID-19 pandemic less seriously, says Pamela Stewart Fahs, professor and expert in rural nursing at Binghamton University, State University…

WashU Experts: Coronavirus challenges facing rural America

As the coronavirus spreads across the United States, larger cities, like New York and Seattle, are dealing with increasing numbers of infections and deaths daily.However, less populated rural areas are not immune from the disease, say two public health experts at Washington University in St. Louis and controlling it in rural America presents a unique set of challenges.

CFES Brilliant Pathways Kicks Off Nationwide Effort to Train 5,000 College and Career Advisors to Increase Student Success

Leaders in higher education, business and K-12 education shared the latest research and best practices with 50 individuals from New York and Vermont as part of a national effort by CFES Brilliant Pathways to train 5,000 College and Career Readiness Advisors by 2022.