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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Mental Health – Resources

Selected recent or important resources focusing on Rural Mental Health.

Promoting Access to Care for Women of Reproductive Age with Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders in Rural Communities
Report highlights the barriers to mental healthcare and substance use disorder treatment for rural women of reproductive age. Discusses continuity of care, access to medication-assisted treatment (MAT), and workforce shortages among other barriers. Presents recommendations, such as telehealth and care coordination, and provides program examples from different states.
Date: 11/2020
Sponsoring organizations: Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs, Georgia Health Policy Center
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Association of Rurality With Availability of Youth Mental Health Facilities With Suicide Prevention Services in the US
Presents a study on the availability of suicide prevention services for youths age 15-19 at mental health facilities in rural versus urban areas. Compares the rates of prevalence of mental health facilities, youth-serving mental health facilities, and youth-serving mental health facilities with suicide prevention programs by rural-urban continuum codes.
Author(s): Janessa M. Graves, Demetrius A. Abshire, Jessica L. Mackelprang, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 3(10), e2021471
Date: 10/2020
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American Indian Addendum for the Suicide Prevention Toolkit for Primary Care Practices
Highlights suicide prevention guidance for primary care providers in tribal communities. Accompanies the Suicide Prevention Toolkit for Primary Care Practices and provides information specific to American Indian and Alaska Native populations. Includes risk assessment and intervention information on suicide prevention strategies in tribal settings.
Date: 10/2020
Sponsoring organizations: Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education
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Telebehavioral Health: An Effective Alternative to In-Person Care
Issue brief discussing telehealth treatment modalities based on a 2019 review of clinical outcomes related to telebehavioral health. Covers three state-level approaches: the Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center Rural Telemental Health Program (VA RTMH), which serves rural Oregon veterans, and Medicaid policies in Texas and Massachusetts. Addresses telebehavioral health policy details, implementation, and considerations for states looking to develop new telebehavioral health policies during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Author(s): Brittany Lazur, Lily Sobolik, Valerie King
Date: 10/2020
Sponsoring organization: Milbank Memorial Fund
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Costs of Emergency Department Visits for Mental and Substance Use Disorders in the United States, 2017
Examines the costs of emergency department (ED) visits with diagnoses of mental and substance use disorders compared to total ED visits, with data on total costs and cost per visit. Includes information by hospital location for large metropolitan, small metropolitan, micropolitan, and rural areas.
Author(s): Zeynal Karaca, Brian J. Moore
Date: 10/2020
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Impaired Driving Among Rural Female Drug-Involved Offenders
Highlights a study on women convicted of impaired driving in rural areas. Breaks down data by demographic data such as age and education, as well as prior history of mental health and substance use issues.
Author(s): J. Matthew Webster, Martha Tillson, Megan F. Dickson, Michele Staton
Citation: Traffic Injury Prevention, 21(8), 513-520
Date: 09/2020
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Stress and Physical Activity in Rural Cancer Survivors: The Moderating Role of Social Support
Details a study on the relationship between social support, leisure-time physical activity, and psychological distress among rural and urban cancer survivors. Breaks down data by age, sex, and cancer type, among other measures.
Author(s): Scherezade K. Mama, Nishat Bhuiyan, Joshua Smyth, Kathryn H. Schmitz
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 36(4), 543-548
Date: 09/2020
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Coordination of Services for People With Serious Mental Illness and General Medical Conditions: Perspectives From Rural Northeastern United States
Highlights a study on healthcare providers' perspectives on the coordination of mental and physical healthcare and social services for rural patients with physical and mental conditions. Breaks down survey responses by coordination level and theme.
Author(s): Marianne Storm, Karen L. Fortuna, Emily A. Gill, et al.
Citation: Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 43(3), 234-243
Date: 09/2020
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Mental Health Treatment Among Adults: United States, 2019
Reports on the percentage of adults who have taken prescription medication for mental health or received counseling or therapy from a mental health professional in the past year. Includes data for adults living in large metropolitan, medium and small metropolitan, and nonmetro areas.
Author(s): Emily P. Terlizzi, Benjamin Zablotsky
Date: 09/2020
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Frequent Mental Distress Among Adults, by Disability Status, Disability Type, and Selected Characteristics — United States, 2018
Reports on prevalence of mental distress among adults with and without disabilities, by disability type and selected demographic characteristics. Features statistics with breakdowns by metropolitan or nonmetropolitan designation.
Author(s): Robyn A. Cree, Catherine A. Okoro, Matthew M. Zack, Eric Carbone
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 69(36), 1238-1243
Date: 09/2020
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Last Updated: 4/28/2025