Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Stigma

Local Facilitators Lead the Way in Stigma Reduction
Discusses how rural community members have led Community Conversations on Opioid Use Disorder workshops addressing substance use disorder stigma via training from the UR Medicine Recovery Center for Excellence. Highlights impacts of the Community Conversations series and strategies for effective training and collaboration.
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: University of Rochester Medicine Recovery Center of Excellence
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Faith, Hope, and Therapy: A Qualitative Study to Explore Faith-Based Leaders' Perceptions of Mental Illness in the Rural South
Examines the perceptions of faith leaders living in the rural South on mental illness, referrals to mental health professionals, and mental health stigma. Provides qualitative feedback from pastors and ministers regarding mental health and the role of the church, preparedness and training to address mental health, and the importance of relationships.
Author(s): Shameka L. Cody, Shena Sanchez, Wanda M. Burton, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 23
Date: 06/2026
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Brief Prescribing Support and Buprenorphine Adoption in Rural Primary Care: A Cluster Randomized Clinical Trial
Explores the efficacy of a brief support program on rural primary care providers willingness to prescribe buprenorphine for opioid use disorder (OUD). Breaks down the support program modules aimed at educating providers about buprenorphine-based treatment and prescribing practices. Highlights post-intervention changes in prescribing and treatment outcomes.
Author(s): Berkeley Franz, Lindsay Y. Dhanani, Daniel Brook, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 9(3), e263050
Date: 03/2026
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Resilience to Stigma in Medical, Social, and Employment Contexts among People Who Inject Drugs in Rural Ohio: Adapting the 10-Item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale
Explores the role stigma related to drug use and HIV plays in the lives of people who inject drugs (PWID) and aims to build resilience in medical, social, and employment contexts for PWID in rural Appalachian Ohio. Presents results from a series of interviews and a qualitative survey placing participants on the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale.
Author(s): Madison N. Enderle, Rebecca H. Neiberg, Stacy M. Endres-Dighe, et al.
Citation: AIDS and Behavior, 30, 894-906
Date: 03/2026
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Empowering Rural Communities: Overcoming Barriers to Substance Use Treatment
Webinar recording discusses the ways rural communities can overcome barriers to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and uptake. Explores substance use data for rural communities and outlines common barriers, such as travel times and distance to care, provider shortages, and concerns about stigma and patient confidentiality. Highlights strategies for rural communities to leverage their community bonds and faith communities to address SUD, and details models for expanding treatment and patient support in rural areas.
Additional links: Webinar Slides
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Addiction Technology Transfer Center Network
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Perspectives on Universal Free School Meals Among Rural Middle and High School Students: A Mixed-Methods Study
Examines perspectives on Universal Free School Meals (UFSM) among students living in rural Maine. Utilizes survey and interview data among middle and high school students to analyze student characteristics, meal preferences, and perceptions of school breakfasts and lunches.
Author(s): Ashley Kesack, Michele Polacsek, Alexis Schneider, Juliana F. W. Cohen
Citation: Nutrients, 18(3), 540
Date: 02/2026
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Expanding Access to Harm Reduction in Rural Communities Through Community-Informed Public Health Vending Machines
Examines the role of public health vending machines (PHVMs) to address the opioid epidemic in rural counties in North Carolina. Utilizes a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach to gather qualitative feedback among people with substance use experience regarding issues such as naloxone access, stigma, preferred PHVM locations and distribution models, and more.
Author(s): Lori Ann Eldridge, Christian Dotson, Lauren Harrell, et al.
Citation: Harm Reduction Journal, 23, 26
Date: 01/2026
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Universal School Meal Policies and Perceived Stigma: Quantitative Evidence From Eight US States
Examines relationships among universal school meals (USMs) policies, stigma surrounding USM, and perceptions of school lunch. Utilizes survey data from 1,066 middle and high school students regarding their feelings of embarrassment surrounding school lunch, with breakdowns according to participant sociodemographics and rural versus urban location.
Author(s): Dania Orta-Aleman, Monica D. Zuercher, Leah E. Chapman, et al.
Citation: Journal of School Health, 96(1), e70098
Date: 01/2026
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Openness to Mental Health Information and Barriers to Accessing Care Among Midwestern Farmers
Surveyed 1,024 midwestern farmers to determine their preferred sources for receiving mental health information and the stigma, instrumental, and attitudinal barriers in accessing mental healthcare.
Author(s): Courtney Cuthbertson, Samantha Iwinski, Asa Billington, Josie Rudolphi
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 23(1), 27
Date: 12/2025
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Reshaping Access: Community-Led Action for Contraceptive Access in Rural Appalachian Kentucky
Examines the All Access Eastern Kentucky (AAEKY) program that provides contraception to patients via the mailing system. Discusses contraception access issues due to geographic isolation, transportation issues, and stigma. Provides clinic and participation feedback on the AAEKY program.
Author(s): Alecia Fields, Kelsie Williams, Dustin Miracle, Joanne Brown, Kyla Preece
Citation: Contraception, 155, 111278
Date: 11/2025
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