Abstract
Urban and rural areas differ in epidemiological rates of physical and mental morbidity. Possibly, rural and urban habitats differentially impact health. It is important to decipher spatial, socioeconomic, and sociological components that differentiate urban and rural habitats, in order to study their etiopathological role in health-related morbidity. Operational definitions for rural areas are typically based on accessibility of healthcare, e.g., distance from the nearest health facility. Rural living, however, is much more than mere physical accessibility of modern healthcare. Rural populations have unique environmental profile and lifestyle choices about occupation, social norms, beliefs about health, and expressions of illness and help-seeking behavior. This introduction to rural living and mental health looks at (a) conceptual issues around defining “rural” and “urban,” (b) urban and rural characteristics and their association with health, and (c) implications of these findings on rural healthcare systems and policy.
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Sharma, E., Chaturvedi, S.K. (2020). Rural Living and Mental Health: Concepts and Contexts. In: Chaturvedi, S. (eds) Mental Health and Illness in the Rural World. Mental Health and Illness Worldwide. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-2345-3_1
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