Rural School Counselors’ Experiences Responding to the Rural Youth Mental Health Crisis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3776/tpre.2025.v15n1p28-65Keywords:
Rural Schools, Mental health, school counselingAbstract
In response to a gap in the literature and the growing mental health needs of rural youth, the authors conducted a phenomenological investigation comprised of fifteen rural school counselors nationwide exploring the rural youth mental health crisis’s impact on their students, schools, and roles. The following themes emerged: rising youth mental health needs, protective and risk factors, pandemic impacts, and school counselors’ changing roles. Implications for rural school counselors, school districts, and counselor preparation are discussed, along with limitations and future research.
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