Addressing Mental Health in Rural Schools

By Jessie Tobin & Aaron Leo

Supporting youths’ mental health has been a priority for school and district leaders for several years. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, has exposed existing inequalities regarding access to mental health care and created new dilemmas. As experts call for more resources to temper the negative impacts that pandemic-control measures have had on young people, we turn our focus to rural communities and highlight promising strategies we have gleaned from our research in positive outlier schools.

New Research on the Emerging Mental Health Crisis

A recent study published in JAMA Pediatrics highlights the dire need to address the mental health crisis unfolding for young people around the world. Through an analysis of 36 studies from 11 different countries, researchers found that early measures to mitigate the spread of the virus (e.g., school closures) have had adverse impacts on the mental health and behaviors of children and adolescents. Alarming data from the recent study indicate high proportions of children and adolescents are experiencing anxiety and depressive symptoms.

While the importance of life-saving measures to stop the spread of the virus should not be downplayed, experts have been urging school and district leaders to increase mental health resources for all students.

In the United States, problems associated with mental health in schools can vary depending on a variety of factors. It is critical that this variability be considered when coming up with ways to support diverse student needs. Rural schools, in particular, have faced unique roadblocks to providing quality mental health care for children and young people in their care.

Mental Health and Rural Schools

Mental health needs are rising among youth across all demographic backgrounds. Certain characteristics of rural communities, however, have exacerbated shortfalls in mental health support for some youth. In recent years, scholars have pointed to significant barriers to caring for the mental health of students in rural schools and communities. These include:

• Physical access to care is less condensed in rural communities than in other types of communities, placing greater burdens on families and schools
• Relatively high staff turnover in rural schools leads to less support for students experiencing mental health-related crises
• Rural school budgets may contribute to mental health support shortages
• Rural school staff may experience limited access to mental health training
• Rural districts may see higher rates of poverty and lower rates of educational attainment, which can limit some youths’ intent to seek help

Lessons from Rural Positive Outliers

Several lessons can be drawn from NYKids’ research in rural schools. Our findings revealed that many rural positive outlier schools in our studies grappled with the issues discussed above and developed unique adaptations and strategies to address youth mental health.

• Creative use of school resources to support struggling families

Recognizing that economic hardships can exacerbate mental health issues for youth, many educators at rural positive outlier schools described the importance of school programs which helped distribute food, school supplies, and hygiene products to struggling families in the district. As a teacher from Crown Point explained, “We look out for the people who don’t have the opportunities others [do].”

• Staffing for mental health

Despite strained school budgets, educators at rural positive outliers prioritized the hiring of mental health professionals at their schools. Several schools, such as Sherburne-Earlville, provided health services on school grounds through a clinic which staffed a doctor and dentist. School leaders also described hiring staff members with training in supporting students’ mental health as well as providing workshops and professional development opportunities for educators.

• Changing perspectives on mental health

Educators at rural positive outlier schools expressed the need to reduce stigma around mental health issues and described the importance of empathy and compassion for their students. This changing perspective meant that educators sought to understand the personal issues facing students rather than taking a punitive approach. As the principal from Alfred-Almond explained:

When a student . . . shows up in the morning late . . . rather than [saying], “You’re late again,” . . . it can be, “I’m so glad to see you,” because we have no idea what is going on in their world that maybe causes them to be late; and rather than judging when they don’t have all of their belongings, we need to just have prepared classrooms where kids can simply get up and go get something, and we don’t have dialogue about why you’re missing your paper or your book again.

For other research on addressing the mental health of children and youth, check out NYKids resources page.

As always, we thank you for your interest in NYKids and encourage you to reach out with questions and/or continuous improvement support.

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