Health inequalities in rural communities
Rural communities face additional risks associated with developing mental ill health and / or suicide risk. Such factors include geographical and social isolation, digital exclusion, poverty and stigma. Limited access to specialist services and longer travel times often mean that rural populations experience delays in diagnosis, support and treatment when compared to more urban populations. These inequalities can contribute towards poorer mental health outcomes and increased vulnerabilities across rural communities.
The University of Worcester has recently established a new Rural Mental Health Research Unit (RMHRU). Within the RMHRU sits THRIVE, a research programme that was developed in collaboration with University of Birmingham and Community Power. The THRIVE programme is funded by the National Institute for Health and Social Care Research (NIHR), which is a UK Government funding body which funds research to improve health and social care.
The Rural Mental Health Research Unit is dedicated to improving the wellbeing of individuals and communities living in rural areas, where access to support is often limited and challenges can be heightened by social and geographical isolation, stigma and digital exclusion.
Our new research unit focuses on addressing health inequalities across rural communities in Herefordshire and Worcestershire specifically, where suicide rates remain above the national average and participation in health research has been historically low.
The research group will work side by side with voluntary and community partners to support locally grounded and inclusive research that reflects the lived experience of our communities.
Our work in the unit centres around three key thematic areas:
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