Rural Mental Health – News
News stories from the past 60 days.
Apr 14, 2019 - Veterans commit suicide at a higher rate than non-veterans and face many of the same risk factors, including a shortage of mental health resources in rural areas. Multiple state and federal agencies are trying to connect at-risk veterans with services to help. (May require subscription to view full article.)
Source: The New York Times
Apr 11, 2019 - After a phone call helped Debbie Mills regain hope in the midst of a dairy farm crisis in rural Minnesota, she began advocating for the importance of rural mental health services.
Source: Agri News
Apr 9, 2019 - Older adults in long-term care may be at risk of suicide, prompting questions about the role of long-term care facilities in suicide prevention. Three suicides at assisted living centers in rural Washington prompted psychologist Julie Rickard to pilot a project training long-term care staff in suicide prevention.
Source: Kaiser Health News
Apr 8, 2019 - Highlights the mental health needs of people affected by natural disasters, focusing on those impacted by the wildfires in rural Paradise, California.
Source: Kaiser Health News
Apr 7, 2019 - High suicide rates in the rural West are prompting public health officials and researchers to analyze data to develop targeted interventions. Focuses on efforts in Oregon, which has one of the highest suicide rates nationally, particularly among veterans, Native Americans, and older men.
Source: Malheur Enterprise
Apr 1, 2019 - The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) Advisory Committee for Women’s Services (ACWS) will hold an online/phone meeting May 29, 2019. Agenda items include the substance use and mental health needs of pregnant and parenting women, access to behavioral health services for women and children, and related policies.
Source: Federal Register
Mar 29, 2019 - Many children in rural areas face challenges accessing mental healthcare. A program in rural Iowa brings care to them. Pathways School Mental Health Services program sends clinical social workers to schools in rural Iowa to provide students with mental health services.
Source: KWWL
SAMHSA: Center for Mental Health Services; Notice of Meeting
Federal Register
Mar 29, 2019 - The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announces a meeting of the Center For Mental Health Services (CMHS) National Advisory Council (NAC) on April 22, 2019. The meeting will be held via telephone and WebEx, include a public comment portion, and address suicide prevention and the Hotline Improvement Act, the previous meeting minutes, and a report from the CMHS director. Registration is required.
Source: Federal Register
Mar 29, 2019 - The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers a Farm Stress program aimed at improving farmer mental health and will be offering Mental Health First Aid training for county and state staff to help them identify and respond to mental health issues and reduce suicide in the agricultural community.
Source: The Pine Bluff Commercial
Mar 28, 2019 - Highlights the impact of farming challenges on mental health and a program in rural Logan County, Ohio that encourages community discussions about common warning signs of mental health concerns.
Source: Ohio Country Journal
Mar 28, 2019 - Interview with Assistant Professor Victoria O'Keefe at Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Center for American Indian Health about her research on Native American suicide prevention and advice for Indigenous people considering health careers.
Source: The John Hopkins News-Letter
Mar 28, 2019 - Telemedicine is helping North Dakota recruit psychiatrists to provide services in rural areas of the state, no matter their location of residence. The medical school is training psychiatry residents to use the technology and its use in the state is spreading - almost 25% of the state's psychiatrists have delivered a telemental health visit.
Source: STAT
Mar 27, 2019 - Nebraska is facing significant flooding concerns, which may exacerbate mental health needs in rural areas. The Senate is considering a bill to increase payment rates for substance abuse and mental health providers to bring them closer to the cost of providing care.
Source: Beatrice Daily Sun
Mar 19, 2019 - Senators Jerry Moran and Jon Tester have introduced legislation intended to improve access to mental healthcare for veterans and reduce veteran suicides. One of the 5 major components of the "Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act" focuses on rural mental healthcare access for veterans and includes a telehealth component.
Source: Office of Senator Jerry Moran
Mar 18, 2019 - Details a new study which found that as many as 1 in 6 U.S. children, aged 6-17, has a treatable mental health disorder like depression, anxiety, or attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Nearly half of these children do not receive behavioral health treatment.
Source: American Academy of Family Physicians
Mar 5, 2019 - Radio interview with Charlotte Halverson, the Clinical Director of AgriSafe. Discussion includes the history and the work of AgriSafe and focuses heavily on farmer suicide, the work they're doing to address the issue, as well as other resources and organizations doing work on this issue. Also touches on the AgriSafe Nurse Scholar Program.
Source: Rural Health Leadership Radio
Mar 5, 2019 - Details a new analysis from Trust for America's Health (TFAH) and Well Being Trust (WBT) which found that more than 150,000 Americans died from alcohol and drug-induced fatalities and suicide in 2017. This is more than twice as many as in 1999, and the highest this rate has ever been. Deaths caused by synthetic opioids rose 45% between 2016 and 2017 and suicide deaths are increasing at the fastest pace since data collection began in 1999.
Source: Trust for America's Health
Mar 5, 2019 - Details an executive order signed by President Trump aimed at reducing veteran suicides. The order creates a Cabinet-level task force that will seek to develop a national roadmap for suicide prevention and urges outreach by awarding grants to community programs.
Source: Boston.com
Feb 20, 2019 - Blog post from the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) on their new Maternal and Child Health Database, which tracks enacted state policies that support the health of mothers, pregnant women, infants, and children. Policy areas include nutrition, mental health, morbidity and mortality, immunizations, newborn screenings, oral health, and more.
Source: National Conference of State Legislatures Blog
Last Updated: 4/15/2019