Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Social connectedness
Exploring Associations Between Well-Being, Mental Distress, and Five Dimensions of Social Capital in Rural Georgia
Explores the role social capital plays in supporting mental health and well-being in rural communities. Bases findings on surveys collected from residents of 6 rural counties in Georgia. Breaks down findings by rates of mental health and well-being by dimension of social capital: trust, diversity of interactions, reciprocity, civic engagement, and voting.
Author(s): Alexis Joanna Smith, Lauren M Bigger, Robin E McGee, et al.
Citation: Family and Community Health, 49(3), 192-196
Date: 07/2026
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Explores the role social capital plays in supporting mental health and well-being in rural communities. Bases findings on surveys collected from residents of 6 rural counties in Georgia. Breaks down findings by rates of mental health and well-being by dimension of social capital: trust, diversity of interactions, reciprocity, civic engagement, and voting.
Author(s): Alexis Joanna Smith, Lauren M Bigger, Robin E McGee, et al.
Citation: Family and Community Health, 49(3), 192-196
Date: 07/2026
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Aging Well in Rural America: Partnerships, Policy, and Progress
Podcast episode describing the beginnings of and next steps for the National Rural Health Association's Age-Friendly Initiative. Discusses social connection in rural communities, community collaborations, and age-friendly care work in the Rural Health Transformation Program proposals.
Date: 04/2026
Sponsoring organization: Trust for America's Health
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Podcast episode describing the beginnings of and next steps for the National Rural Health Association's Age-Friendly Initiative. Discusses social connection in rural communities, community collaborations, and age-friendly care work in the Rural Health Transformation Program proposals.
Date: 04/2026
Sponsoring organization: Trust for America's Health
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Peer Recovery Supports for Behavioral Health in Rural Communities
Discusses behavioral health peer recovery support services in rural and agricultural communities. Highlights innovative and promising practices for overcoming behavioral health barriers, such as addressing stigma, social isolation, and scarcity of services through community and peer supports.
Date: 04/2026
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Discusses behavioral health peer recovery support services in rural and agricultural communities. Highlights innovative and promising practices for overcoming behavioral health barriers, such as addressing stigma, social isolation, and scarcity of services through community and peer supports.
Date: 04/2026
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Community Place Attachment as a Significant Correlate of Motivation to Change Substance Use Behavior among Adults who Inject Drugs in Rural U.S.
Explores the role of community place attachment (CPA) in motivating change in substance use behaviors (MCSUB) among 350 people who inject drugs in Appalachian Kentucky. Provides data on the relationship between CPA, MCSUB, and substance use treatment utilization, and discusses belongingness as an asset supporting SUD treatment in rural communities.
Author(s): Janet K. Otachi, Shawndaya S. Thrasher, Keith J. Watts, Juma S. Mwenda, Hilary L. Surratt
Citation: Frontiers in Public Health, 14, 1746203
Date: 03/2026
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Explores the role of community place attachment (CPA) in motivating change in substance use behaviors (MCSUB) among 350 people who inject drugs in Appalachian Kentucky. Provides data on the relationship between CPA, MCSUB, and substance use treatment utilization, and discusses belongingness as an asset supporting SUD treatment in rural communities.
Author(s): Janet K. Otachi, Shawndaya S. Thrasher, Keith J. Watts, Juma S. Mwenda, Hilary L. Surratt
Citation: Frontiers in Public Health, 14, 1746203
Date: 03/2026
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2025 Nebraska Rural Poll Research Report: Community
Analyzes 2025 Nebraska Rural Poll results related to how rural Nebraskans perceive their local communities, focusing on issues such as community services, housing, mental health, and perceptions of community cohesion and livability.
Author(s): Heather Akin, Cheryl Burkhart-Kriesel, Mary Emery, et al.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: University of Nebraska-Lincoln
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Analyzes 2025 Nebraska Rural Poll results related to how rural Nebraskans perceive their local communities, focusing on issues such as community services, housing, mental health, and perceptions of community cohesion and livability.
Author(s): Heather Akin, Cheryl Burkhart-Kriesel, Mary Emery, et al.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: University of Nebraska-Lincoln
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Antecedents of Loneliness among Cancer Survivors: An Exploratory Analysis of the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) Data
Examines psychosocial and personal factors contributing to social isolation among cancer survivors and isolation as a mediator between those factors and mental health, using 2022 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS 6) data of 926 cancer survivors. Provides data on rural and urban populations throughout.
Author(s): Avishek Choudhury, Christopher W. Wheldon, Safa Elkefi, Priyanka Dixit
Citation: PLOS ONE, 21(1), e0323159
Date: 01/2026
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Examines psychosocial and personal factors contributing to social isolation among cancer survivors and isolation as a mediator between those factors and mental health, using 2022 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS 6) data of 926 cancer survivors. Provides data on rural and urban populations throughout.
Author(s): Avishek Choudhury, Christopher W. Wheldon, Safa Elkefi, Priyanka Dixit
Citation: PLOS ONE, 21(1), e0323159
Date: 01/2026
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Associations of Social Deprivation and Oncology Physician Network Vulnerability With Acute Care Utilization in the SEER-Medicare Population
Discusses the socioeconomic factors that correlate with acute care utilization among cancer patients, as well as the effect of regional specialist scarcity. Draws from Medicare data on patients with breast, lung, or colorectal cancer who have visited emergency departments or had non-elective hospitalizations and explores correlating social and regional factors, such as sex, rurality, social deprivation index score, and proximity to an oncology physician, among others.
Author(s): Ashlee A. Korsberg, Gabriel A. Brooks, A. James O'Malley, et al.
Citation: Health Services Research, e70070
Date: 11/2025
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Discusses the socioeconomic factors that correlate with acute care utilization among cancer patients, as well as the effect of regional specialist scarcity. Draws from Medicare data on patients with breast, lung, or colorectal cancer who have visited emergency departments or had non-elective hospitalizations and explores correlating social and regional factors, such as sex, rurality, social deprivation index score, and proximity to an oncology physician, among others.
Author(s): Ashlee A. Korsberg, Gabriel A. Brooks, A. James O'Malley, et al.
Citation: Health Services Research, e70070
Date: 11/2025
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County-Level Vulnerability Is Associated with Mental Health and Substance Use Treatment among Rural Suicide Decedents: A National Multi-Year Cross-Sectional Study
Presents a study on the relationship between individual- and county-level factors that correlate with rural suicide decedents who receive mental health and substance use dependence treatment. Breaks down data by county-level factors, such as number of mental health providers, number of primary care providers, and rate of social associations, among others, as well as individual characteristics, such as age, sex, education, and marital status, among others.
Author(s): J. Priyanka Vakkalanka, Victor A. Soupene, Jennifer Van Tiem, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(4), e70094
Date: 11/2025
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Presents a study on the relationship between individual- and county-level factors that correlate with rural suicide decedents who receive mental health and substance use dependence treatment. Breaks down data by county-level factors, such as number of mental health providers, number of primary care providers, and rate of social associations, among others, as well as individual characteristics, such as age, sex, education, and marital status, among others.
Author(s): J. Priyanka Vakkalanka, Victor A. Soupene, Jennifer Van Tiem, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(4), e70094
Date: 11/2025
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2025 Nebraska Rural Poll Research Report: Well Being
Analyzes 2025 Nebraska Rural Poll results related to how rural Nebraskans perceive their current and future well-being, life satisfaction, personal finances, impact of marital status, feelings of loneliness, and more. Includes survey data and demographic information on survey respondents.
Author(s): Heather Akin, Cheryl Burkhart-Kriesel, Mary Emery, et al.
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of Nebraska-Lincoln
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Analyzes 2025 Nebraska Rural Poll results related to how rural Nebraskans perceive their current and future well-being, life satisfaction, personal finances, impact of marital status, feelings of loneliness, and more. Includes survey data and demographic information on survey respondents.
Author(s): Heather Akin, Cheryl Burkhart-Kriesel, Mary Emery, et al.
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of Nebraska-Lincoln
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What Makes a Rural Community Age-Friendly?
Brief discussing key factors for making a rural community age-friendly based on interviews with 25 older adults and 36 community leaders and service providers in 4 rural Iowa towns. Discusses rural challenges, volunteer run services, and social networks. Offers policy recommendations based on findings.
Author(s): Ilona Matysiak
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Population Research Network
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Brief discussing key factors for making a rural community age-friendly based on interviews with 25 older adults and 36 community leaders and service providers in 4 rural Iowa towns. Discusses rural challenges, volunteer run services, and social networks. Offers policy recommendations based on findings.
Author(s): Ilona Matysiak
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Population Research Network
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