New brochure: culture and well-being in rural communities
- Rural Pact
- Rural Revitalisation Platform
- Health and care
- Youth
- Sports, Culture and leisure
- Stronger Rural Areas
- Resilient rural areas
This short publication by ELARD examines culture, well-being, and youth mental health in rural areas, highlighting the unique challenges rural communities face. The brochure explores the potential of telehealth to bridge gaps, offering a way to reach youth and promote equitable mental health care.
Image by ELARD
The brochure presents the outcomes of the LEADER Youth Community webinar ‘Culture and well-being in rural communities’ (13 March 2025) which explored the links between culture, youth mental health, and rural well-being. It highlights that adolescent mental health is a critical public health issue in Europe, with rural youth facing higher risks of depression, anxiety, substance use, and suicide due to socioeconomic deprivation, social isolation, stigma, and reduced access to services.
The publication underlines systemic deficiencies such as workforce shortages, limited accessibility, and cultural mismatches of urban-designed services. It sets out recommendations including resilience training, stigma reduction, integration of mental health into schools and primary care, mobile clinics, and digital tools.
Telehealth emerges as a promising solution, offering comparable outcomes to in-person care. The brochure concludes that investing in telehealth and rural digital infrastructure is essential to bridge the rural-urban divide and ensure equitable access to mental health care.