Mental Health Promotion in a Rural Context: Research and Realities from a Community-Based Initiative in Northern Ireland

This paper describes the development of mental health promotion strategies for rural communities in Northern Ireland. The initial phase of a community-based project targeting depression and suicide is examined. The paper brings together practitioner and research perspectives on an analysis of the factors that made this initiative possible and facilitated its development to date. The paper is written in two sections. Section one describes the process and practical experience of planning and implementing the initial phase of the project. Section two reports on the community needs assessment study. The research approach adopted is outlined and the implications of the findings are discussed.