Rural Mental Health – Resources

Evidence Brief: Safety and Effectiveness of Telehealth-Delivered Mental Health Care
Presents an overview of research evidence on the safety and effectiveness of telehealth-based mental healthcare for veterans. Discusses outcomes and studies of telehealth treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, substance use, and multiple mental health conditions.
Additional links: Supplemental Materials
Author(s): E.H. Beech, S. Young, J.K. Anderson, B.E. Belsher, N.J. Parr
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
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Suicide Prevention: Resource for Action
Presents a compilation of best practices for suicide prevention. Explores 7 different approaches to suicide prevention for communities to implement, such as strengthening economic supports, creating protective environments, and improving access and delivery of suicide care, among others. Includes discussion about how different strategies function in rural communities.
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Behavioral Health: Available Workforce Information and Federal Actions to Help Recruit and Retain Providers
Examines the available information on the behavioral health workforce, including federal data on the number of providers nationwide and the projection of the supply and demand for behavioral health providers in 2030. Identifies key barriers to recruiting and retaining behavioral health providers, as well as actions federal agencies have taken to support recruiting and retaining these providers. Outlines federal loan repayment, scholarship, and training programs designed to address workforce challenges in rural and other underserved areas.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Suicide and Self-Harm in Youth Presenting to a US Rural Hospital During COVID-19
Presents a study on rural emergency department utilization and hospital admission for suicide or self-harm in children ages 5 to 17 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Analyzes hospital data from January 2017 to May 2021. Breaks down data by demographic factors, such as sex and rurality, as well as length of stay and visit type, among other measures.
Author(s): Mary Arakelyan, Jennifer A. Emond, JoAnna K. Leyenaar
Citation: Hospital Pediatrics, 12(10), e336–e342
Date: 10/2022
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Rural Depopulation and the Rural-Urban Gap in Cognitive Functioning Among Older Adults
Presents a study on the disparities in cognitive health older adults in rural versus urban populations. Breaks down data by age, race, marital status, and education, among other measures. Explores how depopulation correlates with cognitive functioning and compares the effect in rural and urban populations.
Author(s): Rebecca Glauber
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 38(4), 696-704
Date: 09/2022
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Examining the Burden of Public Stigma Associated with Mental Illness in the Rural United States
Policy brief documenting the burden of public stigma associated with mental illness in rural communities compared with nonrural areas. Features demographics and statistics on stigmatizing attitudes and beliefs with breakdowns by rurality, sex, and age.
Author(s): Michael Meit, Kate Beatty, Stephanie Mathis, Justin Kearley, Amy Wahlquist
Date: 09/2022
Sponsoring organization: ETSU/NORC Rural Health Research Center
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HHS Roadmap for Behavioral Health Integration
Issue brief describing behavioral healthcare needs, barriers to access, and plans to integrate behavioral health and other forms of healthcare. Offering policy solutions to strengthen system capacity, connect patients to care, and create healthy, supportive environments. Notes rural disparities in mental healthcare access and rural-specific behavioral health training.
Date: 09/2022
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Suicides Among American Indian or Alaska Native Persons — National Violent Death Reporting System, United States, 2015–2020
Examines differences in suicide characteristics and contributing circumstances among American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations and non-AI/AN populations. Includes data for metropolitan and nonmetro areas.
Author(s): Deborah Stone, Eva Trinh, Hong Zhou, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 71(37), 1161-1168
Date: 09/2022
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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QuickStats: Age-Adjusted Suicide Rates, by Urbanization Level and Sex — National Vital Statistics System, 2020
Bar chart showing suicide rates by sex for metropolitan (4 levels), micropolitan, and noncore areas.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 71(36), 1159
Date: 09/2022
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Mental Health Treatment Among Adults Aged 18–44: United States, 2019–2021
Reports on trends in receiving any mental health treatment among adults aged 18-44. Includes data for large metropolitan, medium or small metropolitan, or nonmetro areas.
Author(s): Emily P. Terlizzi, Jeannine S. Schiller
Date: 09/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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