Results from a systematic literature review investigating existing mental health strengths and assets in rural Australia, Canada, and the United States.
Historically rural mental health has taken a deficit-based approach to understanding and improving mental illness. This has involved the metrocentric design and implementation of programs and interventions, comparison of urban versus rural health outcomes, a lack of coordination with consumers, little context-specific designs and few evaluations that measure effectiveness. More recent research suggests there are many resources that can be harnessed in rural communities to combat poor mental health but to date, we have little understanding of what these look like. To gain a foundational understanding of what strengths and assets can be harnessed, I have undertaken a systematic literature review and assessed themes in terms of a socioecological model. The results of this review and implications for future research will be discussed.