According to CDC’s www.cdc.gov report “Differences in Health Care, Family, and Community Factors Associated with Mental Behavioral and Developmental Disorders (MBDD) Among Children in Rural and Urban Areas”, one in six children from 2 to 8 in the U.S have been diagnosed with MBDD but the prevalence of MBDD in rural children at 18.6% is higher than urban children at 15.2%.
Several factors produce the high prevalence of MBDD in rural communities such as the higher number of children experiencing healthcare and home challenges than children without MBDDs. It was found that other factors were common for families in rural areas such as financial difficulties making it hard to cover basics, living in neighborhoods with limited amenities, and lacking a family doctor or nurse to help with health or medical issues.
According to the report, assistance in rural areas to help children combat mental disorders can be supported by:
- Enabling primary-behavioral healthcare integration among healthcare providers but also encourage school-based services, communities, and state agencies to work together to improve access to behavioral health while lowering costs
- Providing school-based services and telemedicine options to increase access to behavioral health while reducing stigma and transportation barriers
- Supporting parents with continuous community-level support in order to promote a healthy environment and learning experiences within the home
Go to http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/66ss/ss6608a1.htm to read the report addressing the health of children in rural communities.
CDC will be releasing a special focus on rural health this year through their “Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) series.