Mental health discussions among rural residents: a social network approach

Mental health in rural areas can be affected by a lack of available services, which highlights the need for alternative support. Social relationships are known to bolster mental health, yet discussions of mental health in rural areas may be hindered by concerns over stigma and anonymity. This study applies a novel social network design to identify characteristics of mental health discussion networks among rural residents in Scotland.

Data were collected on 505 social contacts of residents living in the Scottish Highlands. Study participants (n=20) completed a personal network interview, which captured information about their social relationships, including whether they would discuss their mental health with each individual. Multilevel models were used to parse characteristics of individuals (study participants and social contacts), aspects of relationships and social network structure associated with the discussion of mental health.

The results show that 23% of social contacts were rated as someone with whom rural residents would speak about their mental health. Social contacts who were women (odds ratio (OR) 4.06, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.77-9.32) and younger (OR 0.71, 95%CI 0.54-0.94) were more likely to be engaged for mental health discussion. Occupying a more central position in the network increased the likelihood that a social contact would be a mental health discussion partner (ie betweenness; OR 1.03, 95%CI 1.01-1.05), but other aspects of network structure were not associated. Longer relationships (OR 2.33, 95%CI 1.40-3.87) and more frequent interactions (OR 5.05, 95%CI 3.12-8.17) increased the likelihood of mental health discussion, while higher mental health stigma (OR 0.38, 95%CI 0.17-0.85) of study participants lowered the likelihood of mental health discussion.

Findings demonstrate that personal attributes, relational characteristics and network properties can all affect the likelihood of mental health discussions. The study uncovers multiple processes through which social networks can support rural residents, including the promotion of frequent contact, and mixed age/gender relationships, as well as reductions in mental health stigma.