Mental Health in Remote Rural Development Areas

Seventy-five percent of the world's population lives in "developing countries," or in rural locations that lack most standard mental health services. These people have to cope with inadequate transportation and communication infrastructure, housing and sanitation problems, low educational levels, poverty, high rates of certain infectious diseases, and lack of professional human resources. Access to even basic health care is limited. In the constant battle to provide the basic necessities for rural areas, these residents have received little attention with regard to mental health. Mental Health in Remote Rural Developing Areas (GAP Report 139) uses examples from rural villages in Alaska and other developing areas of the world. It illustrates the social and environmental influences that shape health and mental health care. The book includes cases and discussions that focus on the role of the public psychiatrist, who, in these settings, often has limited ability to pick and choose which problems to deal with and who also has multiple options for conceptualizing a problem and taking action.
Approaches described in the book include extensive use of community education to encourage local people to maintain healthy lifestyles. This book will be of interest not only to psychiatrists but also to mental health professionals in different countries and work settings.