Youth suicide rates in rural areas are almost double those in urban areas, according to a recent study in the journal JAMA (JA-muh) Pediatrics. Dr. Cynthia Fontanella (“fon-tuh-NELL-uh”) is one of the authors of the study. She says rural residents often have less access to mental health treatment.
Fontanella says that a better integration of physical and mental healthcare, a reduced stigma towards mental illness, and the use of tele-medicine technology could help close the gap in suicide rates.