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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Mental health

Investigating Rurality as a Risk Factor for State and Trait Hopelessness in Hospitalized Patients With Ischemic Heart Disease
Highlights a study on the correlation between rurality and hopelessness among adults with ischemic heart disease (IHD). Compares rates of hopelessness of patients with IHD in rural and urban areas. Breaks down data by sex, employment, and marriage status, among other factors.
Author(s): Deb Bomgaars, Gwenneth A. Jensen, Lynn L. White, et al.
Citation: The Journal of the American Heart Association, 10(17), e020768
Date: 09/2021
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Veteran Suicide Prevention: Innovative Research and Expanded Public Health Efforts
Presents a full committee hearing discussing expanded public health efforts to address veteran suicide by the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Features testimonies by representatives of the Veterans Health Administration, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, the Wounded Warrior Project, the National Indian Health Board, and the Rand Corporation.
Additional links: Bill Smith Testimony, Jennifer Silva Testimony, Kaitlynne Hetrick Testimony, Kameron Matthews Testimony, Rajeev Ramchand Testimony, Tammy Barlet Testimony
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: House Committee on Veterans' Affairs
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Urban-Rural Differences in Suicide Rates and Leading Means in Kansas
Examines suicide rates and the means of suicide in Kansas between 2000-2019. Compares data by frontier, rural, densely-settled rural, semi-urban, and urban counties.
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: Kansas Health Institute
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Telephone Veteran Peer Coaching for Mental Health Treatment Engagement among Rural Veterans: The Importance of Secondary Outcomes and Qualitative Data in a Randomized Controlled Trial
Presents a study of telephone motivational coaching for veterans receiving primary care in rural VA clinics in Northern California and Louisiana. Compares 272 veterans who screened positive for mental health problems, examining impacts of veteran peer motivational coaching on depression, quality of life, posttraumatic stress disorder, and self-care. Discusses barriers to mental healthcare for rural veterans.
Author(s): Karen H. Seal, Jeffrey M. Pyne, Jennifer K. Manuel, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 37(4), 788-800
Date: 09/2021
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Primary Care Mental Health Integration to Improve Early Treatment Engagement for Veterans Who Screen Positive for Depression
Analyzes the impact of mental health integration into primary care clinics (PC-MHI) among veterans diagnosed with depression. Examines 15,155 patients that screened positively for depression, with data broken down by PC-MHI reach, timeliness of depression treatment, patient sociodemographic variables and health status, and clinic characteristics, including rurality. Discusses patient location and its relationship to veteran mental health disparities.
Author(s): Lucinda B. Leung, Karen Chu, Danielle E. Rose, et al.
Citation: Health Services Research, 59(S2)
Date: 08/2021
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Assessing the Impact of COVID-19 on Low-Income Households and Communities in North Carolina
Discusses impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on efforts to combat poverty and promote self-sufficiency in low-income communities across North Carolina. Presents excerpts from interviews with community leaders, and identifies takeaways related to the pandemic's impact on individuals, organizational strategies, partnerships and collaboration, and public health. Highlights rural communities and Black North Carolinians throughout, and covers topics including vaccination, internet access, mental health, and more. Provides recommendations for community action agencies.
Author(s): James H. Johnson Jr., Jeanne Milliken Bonds, Allan M. Parnell
Date: 08/2021
Sponsoring organizations: North Carolina Community Action Association, Urban Investment Strategies Center
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Police Chiefs Serving Small and Rural Municipalities: Profiles and Concerns
Presents a profile of police chiefs and departments in small and rural Pennsylvania municipalities and compares rural and urban departments. Analyzes concerns of rural Pennsylvania police chiefs, including domestic violence, illicit drug use, human trafficking, school safety, and mental health needs for themselves and for the citizens with whom they interact. Includes statistics with breakdowns by urban and rural areas.
Author(s): Jennifer C. Gibbs
Date: 08/2021
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
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Suicide Among American Indian Youth in New Mexico 2019
Fact sheet offering data on suicide among American Indian students in grades 6-12 based on the 2019 New Mexico Youth Risk and Resiliency Survey (NM YRRS). Examines trends in attempted suicide, suicide-related behaviors, and related factors associated with lower or higher odds of attempted suicide.
Date: 08/2021
Sponsoring organization: Albuquerque Area Southwest Tribal Epidemiology Center
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Mental Health and Substance Use Among Adults with Disabilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic — United States, February–March 2021
Examines symptoms of anxiety or depression, new or increased substance use, and suicidal ideation among adults with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Includes data for urban and rural locations.
Author(s): Mark É. Czeisler, Amy Board, JoAnn M. Thierry, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 70(34), 1142–1149
Date: 08/2021
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Perceptions of Diseases of Despair by Members of Rural and Urban High-Prevalence Communities: A Qualitative Study
Reports on a study of community perceptions of despair-related illnesses based on 4 focus groups of 60 patients from 1 urban and 2 rural census blocks in central Pennsylvania where diseases of despair (DoD) are prevalent. Discusses perceived causes of DoD, such as economic instability, substance misuse, and fragmented family life; and intervention strategies at the community, local, and state level.
Author(s): Daniel R. George, Bethany Snyder, Lauren J. Van Scoy, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 4(7), e2118134
Date: 07/2021
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