Abstract

Coping and Coloring: Mental Health in Rural Communities examines the disproportionate mental-health challenges faced by rural Kentuckians, focusing on Powell County and its surrounding regions. Rural communities experience significant gaps in access to care; nationally, 22.9% of non-metropolitan adults report any mental illness, with 5.5% reporting serious suicidal thoughts —a burden compounded by limited workforce availability, affordability barriers, stigma, and long travel distances for care. In Powell County specifically, residents face a severe shortage of providers, with a ratio of 1,194:1 resident per mental-health provider, an average of 5.8 poor mental-health days per month, and 7% lacking health insurance-indicators of substantial unmet need (Rural Health Into, 2024).

This project combines descriptive statistical analysis with qualitative interviews from two adults living in Powell County to illuminate the personal narratives behind these structural disparities. Solutions explored include Telehealth expansion, patient use of MyChart, increased awareness of available services, improved transportation access, and non-traditional coping strategies such as therapeutic coloring. Findings highlight persistent inequities between rural and urban mental-health systems and underscore the necessity of rural-focused interventions. The project concludes by emphasizing actionable strategies to expand access and demonstrates how creative coping mechanisms can play a meaningful role in holistic rural mental-health support.

Semester/Year of Award

Spring 5-4-2026

Mentor

Nicole A. Lavy-Joy

Mentor Department Affiliation

Social Work

Access Options

Closed Access Thesis

Document Type

Bachelor Thesis

Degree Name

Honors Scholars

Degree Level

Bachelors

Department

Social Work

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