Mental Health of Rural Young Adults: Prevalence of Psychiatric Disorders, Comorbidity, and Service Utilization

Few studies estimate rural psychiatric disorder rates. No study has reported either DSM-III-R or DSM IV disorder prevalence and mental health service use among US rural young adults. This paper reports psychiatric disorder prevalence, comorbidity, service utilization, and disorder correlates in a community sample of 536 young adults, aged 19 to 23 years, living in the rural Midwestern US. More than 60% of the sample met criteria for a lifetime disorder. Substance use disorders were most prevalent. Results indicate that young adults living in the rural Midwest demonstrate substantial rates of psychiatric disorder that are comparable to other population groups.