Rural distress and stress have become critical issues in the wake of c
rises in agriculture and other rural industries. Nationally, evidence
has shown that populations in rural areas generally suffer higher rate
s of poverty, less access to health and human services, and greater le
vels of disability, impairment, and mental and physical disorders than
those in urban areas. Research has also shown that particular rural a
reas and segments of rural communities vary greatly in the stresses to
which they are exposed and in the apparent consequences for social an
d individual well-being (Beale, 1990; Luloff and Swanson, 1990; Wilkin
son, 1991). There is, however, little research that documents these pr
esumed variations or identifies specific reasons for potential differe
nces in stress levels. After careful typology construction, this study
finds little evidence of variation in stress levels by community type
, despite widely varying community situations. (C) 1997 Elsevier Scien
ce Ltd.