Journal of Rural Mental Health, Vol 50(1), Jan 2026, 12-24; doi:10.1037/rmh0000321
As of 2022, one quarter of U.S. adults have a diagnosed mental health disorder, making access to behavioral health (BH) services critically important. While access to telebehavioral health (TBH; defined as a form of synchronous telehealth—the process of providing BH care from a distance, usually using videoconferencing technology) expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic, it remains limited in rural and frontier areas. Little attention has been paid to spatial associations in TBH access within geographically rural U.S. states. This study examines geospatial access to TBH and its association with social vulnerability variables and rurality in New Mexico (NM), exploring health care resource allocation, geography, rurality, and social vulnerability. Two geospatial data sets were developed to model spatial access to BH specialists and average drive time to reliable cell phone coverage. BH provider data came from the National Provider Inventory directory. A four-step model framework, including global and geographically weighted logistic and linear regression, was used to examine associations between social vulnerability variables, rurality and TBH access vulnerability, and their geographic patterns. Most of the tracts were not classified as “vulnerable,” but some showed varying vulnerability levels. Several census tract variables correlated positively with increased telecommunications and BH access vulnerability. Rural NM, especially American Indian or Alaska Native areas, had poorer access to BH services and reliable mobile data. This study highlights spatial disparities in TBH access in rural NM. Improving TBH access and telecommunications infrastructure are crucial for addressing service challenges, particularly for rural areas and American Indian or Alaska Native populations. Federal initiatives are essential to prevent worsening inequalities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)