An investigation into the prevalence and perceptions of mental health disorders in Appalachian West Virginia
Abstract Introduction Appalachian West Virginia’s population is disproportionately afflicted by mental illness, with Logan County having the highest depression rates in the United States. To further understand the mental health situation in Appalachian West Virginia, this research study aims to eval...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Springer
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Discover Mental Health |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1007/s44192-025-00218-1 |
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| author | Tyann Dotson Jerry Derringer Lauren Hudson Rose Nathan L. Vanderford Amanda Hinkle Lindsay E. Cormier |
| author_facet | Tyann Dotson Jerry Derringer Lauren Hudson Rose Nathan L. Vanderford Amanda Hinkle Lindsay E. Cormier |
| author_sort | Tyann Dotson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Introduction Appalachian West Virginia’s population is disproportionately afflicted by mental illness, with Logan County having the highest depression rates in the United States. To further understand the mental health situation in Appalachian West Virginia, this research study aims to evaluate the prevalence and perceptions of mental health disorders among patients of Coalfield Health Center. Methods An online survey was administered to patients at Coalfield Health Center containing 25 questions categorized into three parts: demographic, beliefs/perceptions about behavioral health, and behavioral healthcare access. Findings The data demonstrated that 37% of participants had received a mental illness diagnosis and 82% knew someone with a mental illness. Nearly 10% of participants denied having reliable transportation or health insurance coverage. Patients reported lacking mental health knowledge and a majority indicated a need for mental health education. Conclusions The data affirm a high prevalence of mental illness in Logan County, with barriers to care including a negative community perception, low socioeconomic status, lack of access to resources, and low health literacy. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-4b6656ed78fd4e9da14effff3bb9949f |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2731-4383 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Springer |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Discover Mental Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-4b6656ed78fd4e9da14effff3bb9949f2025-08-20T03:16:52ZengSpringerDiscover Mental Health2731-43832025-05-015111110.1007/s44192-025-00218-1An investigation into the prevalence and perceptions of mental health disorders in Appalachian West VirginiaTyann Dotson0Jerry Derringer1Lauren Hudson Rose2Nathan L. Vanderford3Amanda Hinkle4Lindsay E. Cormier5Department of Biological Sciences, Eastern Kentucky UniversityDepartment of Biological Sciences, Eastern Kentucky UniversityCollege of Medicine, University of KentuckyUniversity of Kentucky, Markey Cancer CenterCoalfield Health CenterDepartment of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, College of Medicine, University of KentuckyAbstract Introduction Appalachian West Virginia’s population is disproportionately afflicted by mental illness, with Logan County having the highest depression rates in the United States. To further understand the mental health situation in Appalachian West Virginia, this research study aims to evaluate the prevalence and perceptions of mental health disorders among patients of Coalfield Health Center. Methods An online survey was administered to patients at Coalfield Health Center containing 25 questions categorized into three parts: demographic, beliefs/perceptions about behavioral health, and behavioral healthcare access. Findings The data demonstrated that 37% of participants had received a mental illness diagnosis and 82% knew someone with a mental illness. Nearly 10% of participants denied having reliable transportation or health insurance coverage. Patients reported lacking mental health knowledge and a majority indicated a need for mental health education. Conclusions The data affirm a high prevalence of mental illness in Logan County, with barriers to care including a negative community perception, low socioeconomic status, lack of access to resources, and low health literacy.https://doi.org/10.1007/s44192-025-00218-1Appalachian West VirginiaMental healthRural healthcare accessBarriers to care |
| spellingShingle | Tyann Dotson Jerry Derringer Lauren Hudson Rose Nathan L. Vanderford Amanda Hinkle Lindsay E. Cormier An investigation into the prevalence and perceptions of mental health disorders in Appalachian West Virginia Discover Mental Health Appalachian West Virginia Mental health Rural healthcare access Barriers to care |
| title | An investigation into the prevalence and perceptions of mental health disorders in Appalachian West Virginia |
| title_full | An investigation into the prevalence and perceptions of mental health disorders in Appalachian West Virginia |
| title_fullStr | An investigation into the prevalence and perceptions of mental health disorders in Appalachian West Virginia |
| title_full_unstemmed | An investigation into the prevalence and perceptions of mental health disorders in Appalachian West Virginia |
| title_short | An investigation into the prevalence and perceptions of mental health disorders in Appalachian West Virginia |
| title_sort | investigation into the prevalence and perceptions of mental health disorders in appalachian west virginia |
| topic | Appalachian West Virginia Mental health Rural healthcare access Barriers to care |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1007/s44192-025-00218-1 |
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