Barriers to receiving mental or medical health services have been researched independently for decades. However, very little investigations have assessed the combined mental and medical health challenges for individuals residing in rural communities, particularly those of Colquitt County, Georgia. This study will explore the difficulties encountered by residents of these communities by utilizing responses on self-report questionnaires. Researchers will sample approximately 100 participants and evaluate their responses to the self-report measures exploring mental and medical health experiences. It is hypothesized that barriers such as workforce shortages, stigma, lack of insurance coverage, geographic maldistribution, mistrust of providers, or beliefs that treatment would not help are the main factors deterring individuals from seeking and receiving behavioral health services as needed. The analysis of this study will yield targets to bridge the gap for individuals in these communities and equip them with the necessary aid to improve their quality of life.
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/shari_allen/16/