Rural and remote mental health in Canada: Evidence brief on best and promising practices

Rural and remote communities in Canada face unique challenges in providing access to quality mental health services. People in these communities must often travel great distances to get the help they need. Where services do exist, they are frequently stretched thin, with long wait lists, high turnover rates, and poor communications infrastructures (despite the increased dependence on telepsychiatry, tele-counselling, and other internet-based services). Smaller communities also experience higher levels of mental health stigma, which can make it harder to maintain people’s privacy.