Date: June 30, 2022
Anxiety, Depression, and Access to Mental Health Care by Sexual Orientation and Rurality
The purpose of this policy brief is to illustrate the differences in two of the most common mental health disorders (anxiety and depression) and in access to mental health care by sexual orientation and rurality.
Key Findings
- Rural lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) adults reported the highest rates of depression and anxiety disorder diagnosis, as well as the highest levels of depressed feelings, compared with urban LGB adults and rural and urban heterosexual adults.
- Urban LGB adults reported the most barriers to accessing health care.
- Both rural and urban LGB adults were more likely to have delayed mental health care in the past 12 months because of cost, compared with their heterosexual counterparts.
Contact Information:
Carrie Henning-Smith, PhD, MPH, MSW
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Phone: 612.626.4512
henn0329@umn.edu
Additional Resources of Interest:
- More information about the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
- More information from the Rural Health Information Hub’s topic guides: Rural Mental Health, Rural Health Disparities, Social Determinants of Health for Rural People