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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Stigma

Parent Partners Provide Mentoring and Support in Rural Iowa
Features a statewide program in Iowa that pairs families whose children have been removed from the home with mentors with shared experience who have successfully navigated the state's Department of Human Services system. Describes the services that mentors provide: coaching, advocating, and connecting clients with community resources.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Mental Health in Rural Areas
Policy position paper focused on mental health in rural areas. Discusses barriers and policy recommendations regarding the availability, access, and acceptability of mental health care in rural communities.
Author(s): Brenda Mack, Heather Whetsell, Janessa M. Graves
Date: 02/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Access to Mental Health Services in Rural Pennsylvania
Results of a study to assess the demand for mental health services in rural Pennsylvania, with a focus on youth and the elderly. Identifies challenges these populations face in accessing mental health care to provide options for improving and expanding mental healthcare services for underserved rural Pennsylvanians. Features demographics and statistics on health and mental health needs in rural Pennsylvania, with breakdowns by county.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Author(s): Juliana Svistova, Ahyoung Lee, Christopher Harris, et al.
Date: 01/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
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A Qualitative Study on Pharmacy Policies Toward Over-the-Counter Syringe Sales in a Rural Epicenter of US Drug-Related Epidemics
Examines pharmacy over-the-counter (OTC) policies and pharmacists' rationale for, and barriers and facilitators to, OTC syringe sales in a rural Appalachian Kentucky area hard hit by drug-related epidemics. Uses data collected from interviews with 14 pharmacists between February 2018 and January 2019.
Author(s): Monica Fadanelli, Hannah L. F. Cooper, Patricia R. Freeman, et al.
Citation: Harm Reduction Journal, 19(1)
Date: 01/2022
Type: Document
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Stigma Experienced by Rural Pregnant Women with Substance Use Disorder: A Scoping Review and Qualitative Synthesis
Explores the stigma experienced by rural pregnant women with substance use disorder (SUD). Bases findings on a literature review of studies from 2000-2022. Breaks down the various ways and areas rural pregnant women with SUD experience stigma, such as within the community and healthcare settings. Discusses the importance of comprehensive care that takes these experiences into consideration.
Author(s): Victoria Bright, Julia Riddle, Jean Kerver
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(22), 15065
Date: 2022
Type: Document
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National Plan for Health Workforce Well-Being
Explores the potential to drive policy and systems change to better support the health workforce and the health of all communities. Includes sections on creating and sustaining positive work environments, investing in strategies and research, supporting mental health and reducing stigma, addressing policy barriers, using technology tools, and recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Action Collaborative on Clinician Well-Being and Resilience
Date: 2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Addressing Structural Racism, Bias, and Health Communication as Foundational Drivers of Obesity: Proceedings of a Workshop Series
Presents proceedings from a 2021 workshop series on issues related to obesity such as structural racism, stigma, weight bias, health communication, and potential data-driven solutions. Includes strategies for developing positive interactions with diverse populations as well as information specific to tribal areas.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Food and Nutrition Board
Date: 2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Methadone Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder: Improving Access through Regulatory and Legal Change: Proceedings of a Workshop
Offers proceedings from the March 2022 workshop, Methadone Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder: Examining Federal Regulations and Laws. Covered topics include personal perspectives on methadone treatment, access and barriers to access for rural and other underserved populations, and federal policies and regulatory flexibilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Board on Health Sciences Policy, Board on Health Care Services
Date: 2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Sex Trafficking and Substance Use: Identifying High-Priority Needs Within the Criminal Justice System
Summarizes proceedings from a workshop that examines the overlap of sex trafficking and substance use disorders (SUDs) to provide victim-centered and trauma-informed services. Discusses policies and stigma surrounding SUDs and the barriers for marginalized victims who try to access services. Provides commentary on the increased needs of rural and nonmetropolitan communities.
Author(s): Lynn Langton, Michael G. Planty, Duren Banks, et al.
Date: 2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: RAND Corporation
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"I Didn't Come Here to Make Trouble": Resistance Strategies Utilized by Transgender and Gender Diverse Youth in the Midwestern U.S.
Explores resilience in transgender and gender diverse (TGD) youth living in rural Midwestern states. Discusses stigma, discrimination, and victimization TGD youth experience and how a strength-focused analysis shows how they cultivate strategies to resist oppression, such as navigating difficult relationships, seeking mental health support, and accessing community resources.
Author(s): Megan S. Paceley, Jacob Goffnett, April L. Diaz, et al.
Citation: Youth, 1(1), 29-46
Date: 12/2021
Type: Document
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