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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Illicit drug use

Life in Rural America
Summarizes the results of a survey of rural adults living in the U.S. Includes survey response data and statistics on a variety of topics such as: drug addiction or abuse and opioids; the economy; health conditions; suicide; and more.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 10/2018
Sponsoring organizations: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, NPR, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
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Federal Legislation to Address the Opioid Crisis: Medicaid Provisions in the SUPPORT Act
Brief details the Medicaid provisions in the Substance Use Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities (SUPPORT) Act. Discusses provisions aimed at treating substance use disorder(SUD) in rural areas.
Author(s): MaryBeth Musumeci, Jennifer Tolbert
Date: 10/2018
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Characteristics of Prescription Opioid-Impaired and Other Substance-Impaired Drivers in Rural Appalachian Kentucky
Study examining characteristics and behaviors of prescription opioid-impaired drivers in the rural Appalachian region of Kentucky, Makes comparisons with other substance-impaired drivers using data from research interviews with 118 study participants who had been convicted of a DUI in the same county where they lived. Discusses prevalence of substance use, frequency of impaired driving, criminal activity, and mental health for prescription opioid-impaired, other drug-impaired, and alcohol only-impaired drivers.
Author(s): J. Matthew Webster, Megan F. Dickson, Faiyad Mannan, Michele Staton
Citation: Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 59(5), 373-381
Date: 09/2018
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Substance Use Disorder Treatment Policy Recommendations for the State of Indiana: Final Report - September 2018
Assessment of Indiana's treatment system for substance use disorders (SUDs), based on interviews with stakeholder groups, consultation with national experts, focus groups, and a review of public data sets. Includes 6 recommendations in the categories of treatment system transformation, SUD workforce, and underserved populations. Discusses barriers to treatment in rural areas.
Date: 09/2018
Sponsoring organization: Pew Charitable Trusts
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Opioid Crisis: Status of Public Health Emergency Authorities
Examines the effectiveness of public health emergency authorities' response to the opioid crisis. Discusses the different public health emergency authorities selected by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the activities underway to combat the opioid crisis.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 09/2018
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Data Sources and Data-Linking Strategies to Support Research to Address the Opioid Crisis: Final Report
Identifies and describes secondary data sources that can be used in research and evaluations related to the opioid crisis. Discusses common approaches used to link or merge data sources. Describes research needs and challenges related to studying the opioid crisis.
Author(s): Rosanna Smart, Courtney Ann Kase, Amanda Meyer, Bradley D. Stein
Date: 09/2018
Sponsoring organizations: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, RAND Corporation
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Evidence-Based Interventions for Adolescent Opioid Use Disorder: What Might Work for High-Risk Ohio Counties?
Presents a study on interventions targeting Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) in adolescents in Ohio. Focuses on interventions aimed at 11-18 year olds in 3 counties containing both rural and urban communities. Features a literature review of OUD interventions for adolescents.
Author(s): Christal Ramos, Lisa Clemans-Cope, Haley Samuel-Jakubos, Luis Basurto
Date: 09/2018
Sponsoring organization: Urban Institute
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Changing Dynamics of the Drug Overdose Epidemic in the United States from 1979 Through 2016
Features a study on the changes in overdose mortality across the U.S. between 1979-2016. Aims to shed light on the current opioid crisis by placing it within a broader data set incorporating all illicit drug overdose deaths in a longer time frame. Details the specific changes in drug overdose mortality in rural areas.
Author(s): Hawre Jalal, Jeanine M. Buchanich, Mark S. Roberts, et al.
Citation: Science, 361(6408)
Date: 09/2018
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Opioid-Affected Births to Rural Residents
Examines rates of diagnosis of maternal opioid use disorder and infant neonatal abstinence syndrome for rural residents at time of childbirth. Includes statistics for delivery location with breakdowns by rural, urban non-teaching, and urban teaching hospitals.
Author(s): Katy Kozhimannil, Tongtan Chantarat, Alexandra Ecklund, Carrie Henning-Smith
Date: 09/2018
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Addiction and Substance Misuse Reports and Publications
Provides data on prevalence of substance use, and opioid misuse, use disorders, overdoses, and related topics. Includes discussion of prevention programs and screening.
Date: 09/2018
Sponsoring organizations: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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