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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Behavioral health

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on People who Inject Drugs Accessing Harm Reduction Services in a Rural American State
Results of a study exploring how changes made in Maine during the pandemic affected access to harm reduction services, including basic services such as shelter, syringe service programs, safe drug supply, low barrier buprenorphine treatment, and peer support. Based on interviews with 36 stakeholders comprising people who inject drugs, community partners, and healthcare providers.
Author(s): Kinna Thakarar, Michael Kohut, Rebecca Hutchinson, et al.
Citation: Harm Reduction Journal, 19(80)
Date: 07/2022
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Expanding Access to Substance Use Services and Mental Health Care for People with HIV in Alabama, a Technology Readiness Assessment Using a Mixed Methods Approach
Results of a study exploring opportunities for enhanced substance use disorder and mental health screening using electronic patient reported outcomes and telehealth at 5 Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program-funded clinics in Alabama. Features a county-level map showing HIV prevalence in Alabama in 2019.
Author(s): Ellen F. Eaton, Kaylee Burgan, Greer McCollum, et al.
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 22(1), 919
Date: 07/2022
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Mental Health in California: Waiting for Care
Reports on mental health statistics in California, including disease prevalence, treatment provider supply and utilization, and mental health in the criminal justice system. Offers county-level maps of suicide rates and adult and child/adolescent acute psychiatric inpatient beds.
Additional links: Mental Health in California Almanac, 2022 - Charts (ZIP), Mental Health in California Almanac, 2022 - Quick Reference Guide
Date: 07/2022
Sponsoring organization: California Health Care Foundation
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Substance Use in California: Prevalence and Treatment
Reports on substance use and addiction in the state of California, offering data on trends over several periods of time by type of substance, age, race/ethnicity, and more. Includes emergency department visits and county-level data on opioid overdose deaths and location of treatment programs.
Additional links: Substance Use in California Almanac, 2022 - Charts (ZIP), Substance Use in California Almanac, 2022 - Quick Reference Guide
Date: 07/2022
Sponsoring organization: California Health Care Foundation
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Geographic Trends in Opioid Overdoses in the US From 1999 to 2020
Results of a study examining trends in opioid-involved overdose death (OOD) rates in urban and rural counties. Explores OODs due to overprescription of opioids, use of heroin and illicit synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, and stimulants in combination with synthetic opioids. Features statistics with breakdowns by 6 levels of population density.
Author(s): Lori Ann Post, Alexander Lundberg, Charles B. Moss, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 5(7)
Date: 07/2022
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Virtual Training and Technical Assistance: A Shift in Behavioral Health Workforce Access and Perceptions of Services During Emergency Restrictions
Compares training and technical assistance (TTA) provision in the six-month period prior to and during early COVID-19 restrictions to determine the extent to which the shift to virtual service provision affected the behavioral health and medical workforce. Examines participants' access to TTA, geographic reach of TTA, and workforce perceptions of satisfaction and utility with TTA provision.
Author(s): Kristen G. Powell, Michael J. Chaple, Maxine Henry, et al.
Citation: BMC Medical Education, 22(575)
Date: 07/2022
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Barriers to Medications for Opioid Use Disorder in the Court System: Provider Availability, Provider "Trustworthiness," and Cost
Examines perceptions of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) availability, provider trustworthiness, and MOUD affordability based on a survey of 151 court team members in Florida. Discusses rates of court referral to MOUD treatment in cases involving opioid use disorder (OUD) and notes rural-specific barriers to MOUD referral.
Author(s): Fatema Z. Ahmed, Barbara Andraka-Christou, M.H. Clark, et al.
Citation: Health & Justice, 10, 24
Date: 07/2022
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Identifying Unique Barriers to Implementing Rural Emergency Department-Based Peer Services for Opioid Use Disorder Through Qualitative Comparison with Urban Sites
Study examining the implementation of emergency department-based interventions for opioid use disorder (OUD) in rural and urban areas based on interviews with programs in Indiana's Recovery Coach and Peer Support Initiative (RCPSI). Describes barriers to implementation for rural programs, including issues related to intervention characteristics, logistical challenges, and staffing issues.
Author(s): Dennis P. Watson, Monte D. Staton, Nicole Gastala
Citation: Addiction Science & Clinical Practice, 17, 41
Date: 07/2022
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Fighting Fentanyl: The Federal Response to a Growing Crisis
Presents the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) hearing on the government's response to the fentanyl crisis. Includes testimonies from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA), National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and the Office of National Drug Control Policy regarding current efforts to address the expanding use of fentanyl across the U.S.
Additional links: Carole Johnson Testimony, Christopher Jones Testimony, Kemp Chester Testimony, Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon Testimony
Date: 07/2022
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions
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Responding to a Surge in Overdose Deaths: Perspectives From US Syringe Services Programs
Highlights a study on the perspectives of syringe service program (SSP) leadership and staff regarding overdose deaths in the US. Bases conclusions on interviews done from February to March of 2021 and breaks down participant data by geographic region, distribution approach, and rurality, among others factors.
Author(s): Madeline C. Frost, Elizabeth J. Austin, Maria A. Corcorran, et al.
Citation: Harm Reduction Journal, 19, 79
Date: 07/2022
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