Research Alert: June 16, 2022

Non-Metropolitan and Metropolitan Trends in Mental Health Treatment Availability in Community Health and Community Mental Health Centers

Community mental health centers (CMHCs) and community health centers (CHCs) are two types of federally funded sites where persons may seek mental health treatment. The purpose of this study was to show how the supply of CMHCs and CHCs delivering mental health services changed over time, in non-metropolitan and metropolitan areas.

We found that the supply of CMHCs decreased substantially from 2000 to 2019 in non-metropolitan counties. However, the supply of CHCs offering mental health services increased substantially over the same time period. These gains were pronounced in both non-metropolitan and metropolitan counties, although growth was faster in metropolitan counties.

Additional Resources of Interest:

• More information about the Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
• More information from the Rural Health Information Hub's topic guides: Federally Qualified Health Centers, Healthcare Access, Mental Health, Rural Health Disparities, Substance Use and Misuse