Rural America is in the midst of a mental health crisis. Suicide rates in rural areas have risen 46% over the past two decades—nearly double the pace of urban communities. In many rural counties, suicide claims as many as 20 lives per 100,000 residents, underscoring the depth of the emergency.
Behind these numbers are cultural and structural barriers that make care difficult to access. Stigma remains entrenched; seeking help is still seen as weakness, deterring people from pursuing support even when it exists. Further, geography creates obstacles: long distances to clinics, shortages of trained providers, and “service deserts” where mental health infrastructure is virtually absent.
Today, 65% of rural counties lack a psychiatrist, and millions of households remain without reliable internet, removing the option of telehealth and digital care that are rapidly becoming the norm. Digital tools, for example, hold enormous potential to close gaps in access, but adoption has been slow. Mistrust of outside systems, lack of culturally tailored approaches, and limited digital literacy often blunt their impact. Without intentional design, innovation risks reinforcing inequities rather than reducing them.
The Potential for Digital Tools
Digital approaches can directly address the barriers that have long kept rural communities from accessing care. They reduce stigma by normalizing help-seeking, collapse distance by making care accessible closer to home, and fill service deserts by extending scarce specialist resources and equipping local champions with the tools to deliver support.
Realizing these benefits starts with addressing stigma. Embedding digital tools within familiar institutions such as churches, schools, extension offices, or local clinics can reduce stigma and increase comfort with use. Community-based interventions that include peer support and culturally tailored outreach consistently outperform top-down approaches. Initiatives like Trim the Stigma, which integrates mental health support into job fairs alongside free haircuts and employment services, show how blending practical support with cultural resonance can make care feel more approachable.
Accessibility is the next critical factor. In areas where broadband is unreliable, tools must function offline or in low-bandwidth environments. Simple formats such as SMS, audio messages, and asynchronous communication can ensure that support reaches people regardless of connectivity. A review of mobile apps and SMS interventions found that SMS is among the simplest and most feasible channels for self-guided mental health support, particularly in resource-limited settings.
Finally, digital tools can help fill service deserts by extending scarce specialist resources and equipping community health workers to provide decentralized care. Telehealth models allow rural clinics to access behavioral health expertise they would not otherwise have, while digital platforms can connect community health workers with training, supervision, and ongoing support. By combining specialist reach with local capacity, digital tools make it possible to deliver consistent, community-based care even in areas with little or no formal mental health infrastructure.
Private Sector’s Contribution
Rural communities are resilient, resourceful, and deeply connected. These qualities provide a powerful foundation for meaningful innovation. Their deep social ties foster trust and collective action, and their strong sense of identity demands that new solutions feel authentic and relevant. To truly meet the needs of rural communities, digital mental health solutions must build on these strengths, ensuring that innovation reflects the values and lived experiences of the people it aims to serve.
The private sector has a unique opportunity to scale and embed innovation in trusted networks and co-create with the communities it seeks to serve. To act on this opportunity, business leaders should focus on four priorities:
1. Tailor digital mental health tools to rural realities
Ensure offline access, embed solutions in familiar institutions, and address mental health stigma through trusted intermediaries such as schools, churches, and community organizations. For example, Rural Minds, a national nonprofit, collaborates with community leaders to promote mental health awareness and digital access in farming and small-town communities. This approach not only bridges connectivity gaps but also builds trust, making digital mental health solutions more accessible and sustainable in rural settings.
2. Invest in local capacity
Invest in equipping local champions such as school counselors, clergy, peer supporters, and extension agents with digital tools that expand their ability to deliver care. This can include mobile-based screening apps, digital training platforms, and tele-supervision models that connect them with specialists for guidance and mentorship. Mental Health First Aid, for example, is an evidence-based training program that teaches people how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges. By integrating digital components such as virtual simulations, mobile refresher courses, and online peer forums, the program could ensure that community members have ongoing access to skills and resources. Embedding digital tools into local capacity-building helps rural communities sustain front-line support that is scalable, responsive, and connected to specialist expertise. However, long-term sustainability depends on building clear pathways for local ownership and financial stability, so that the impact continues even after private-sector investment tapers off.
3. Strengthen trust and messaging through co-created approaches
Digital innovation succeeds only when it reflects community realities. Too often, tools are designed in urban or corporate settings and introduced into rural areas without adaptation, which undermines trust. Business leaders should prioritize participatory design by engaging farmers, teachers, faith leaders, and young people directly in shaping digital solutions. This can involve usability testing, adapting interfaces for low literacy or low connectivity, and ensuring that digital content reflects local language, imagery, and cultural values. Research confirms that when the private sector combines funding and technical expertise with community-centered collaboration, digital health adoption accelerates, even in underserved settings. By co-creating with communities, digital platforms can become trusted extensions of local support networks, making mental health care more approachable, relevant, and sustainable.
By aligning innovation with rural realities and placing communities at the center, the private sector can unlock sustainable solutions that expand access, reduce stigma, and improve lives.
Upcoming Events
| Event | Date | Location | Description |
| Mental Health America | October 16-17 | Washington, DC | The 2025 Mental Health America Conference, Turn Awareness Into Action, will bring together experts, innovators, and advocates who are implementing strategies that work – approaches that improve mental health care, expand access, and create lasting change. Attendees will gain practical tools and learn about proven models to take what’s working and replicate it into their own communities. |
| International Conference on Psychology and Mental Health | November 10-11 | Dubai, UAE | This conference serves as a global platform for professionals, researchers, and practitioners in the fields of psychology and mental health to come together, share knowledge, and collaborate on the latest advancements in the industry. |
| Behavioral Health Tech Conference | November 11-13 | San Diego, CA | The conference brings together passionate individuals who are committed to making behavioral health more accessible and impactful. Whether you are a provider, innovator, or advocate, this conference is designed for those who believe in the power of technology and collaboration to drive real change. |
Industry Updates
Drugmaker AbbVie is in talks to acquire privately-held mental health therapeutics company Gilgamesh Pharmaceuticals in a deal worth about $1 billion. Gilgamesh is a clinical-stage company developing therapies for psychiatric disorders, including depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. In May, AbbVie said it is partnering with Gilgamesh to develop therapies for psychiatric disorders, under which Gilgamesh could receive up to $1.95 billion in option fees and milestone payments.
The European Commission has approved Biogen’s Zurzuvae (zuranolone) as the first oral treatment for postpartum depression (PPD) in Europe, marking a major advancement from previous IV-only options. Taken once daily for 14 days, Zurzuvae is a neuroactive steroid that modulates GABA-A receptors and has shown rapid symptom improvement by day three, sustained through day 45, according to the SKYLARK study. Originally developed by Sage Therapeutics, the drug has also been approved by the FDA in the US and MHRA in the UK, and shows potential for treating major depressive disorder (MDD). Experts highlight its significance in addressing the underdiagnosed and undertreated maternal mental health needs across Europe.