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Rural Mental Health – Resources

Selected recent or important resources focusing on Rural Mental Health.

Suicidal Thoughts, Plans, and Attempts by Non-Metropolitan and Metropolitan Residence
Compares trends in prevalence of suicidal thoughts, plans, and attempts, and identifies demographic, social, and economic factors associated with these thoughts and actions. Includes statistics by county type from 2010-2016, with breakdowns by nonmetro, small metro, and large metro areas.
Author(s): Kathi Harp, Tyrone F. Borders
Date: 05/2019
Sponsoring organization: Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
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Preventing Farmer Suicides through Helplines and Farm Visits
Discusses the financial and other challenges farmers face that impact their mental health. Highlights the efforts of the Minnesota Farm & Rural Helpline and NY FarmNet, which work to improve farmers' mental health and prevent suicides.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 05/2019
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Association Between Rural Residence and Nonfatal Suicidal Behavior Among California Adults: A Population-Based Study
Presents a study on nonfatal suicide behaviors, such as suicidal ideation, for 40,041 residents in rural and urban areas of California. Breaks down data by age, sex, and race, among other measures.
Author(s): Claire E. Margerison, Sidra Goldman-Mellor
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 35(2), 262-269
Date: 03/2019
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Peer Support Specialists Care for and Connect Rural Behavioral Health Clients
Discusses peer support specialists, trained laypeople in recovery with a mental health condition or substance use disorder, and describes the roles they play as mentors and coordinators for clients with similar behavioral health issues. Features peer support specialist programs in rural Arizona, Michigan, and North Dakota.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 02/2019
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Fostering Healthy Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Development in Children and Youth
Report highlights research on mental, emotional, and behavioral development in children and youth. Describes the different challenges for cognitive development in both urban and rural areas and explores the necessary structures that facilitate regular development. Available for free download with login.
Date: 2019
Sponsoring organization: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Key Informant Perspectives on Rural Social Isolation and Loneliness
Describes challenges and opportunities related to health impacts of social isolation in rural areas, using data from interviews with 22 experts from 11 states and the District of Columbia. Addresses gaps in the literature on rural-urban differences in social isolation and offers suggestions for policy changes and programmatic interventions.
Author(s): Carrie Henning-Smith, Alexandra Ecklund, Megan Lahr, et al.
Date: 10/2018
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Geographic Variation in the Supply of Selected Behavioral Health Providers
Analyzes the geographic distribution of behavioral healthcare providers across the country. Breaks down data by metropolitan, micropolitan, and non-core counties and by psychiatrists, psychologists, and psychiatric nurse practitioners.
Author(s): C. Holly A. Andrilla, Davis G. Patterson, Lisa A. Garberson, et al.
Citation: American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 54(6), Supp 3, S199-S207
Date: 06/2018
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Good Things in Small Packages? Evaluating an Economy of Scale Approach to Behavioral Health Promotion in Rural America
Discusses the relative effects of serving smaller versus larger student groups in a school-based youth risk prevention and behavioral health promotion program. Evaluation results are reported from the three-year program - I Got U: Healthy Life Choices for Teens - delivered to eighth-grade and tenth-grade rural Mississippi students from 2012 to 2015.
Author(s): John P. Bartkowski, Xiaohe Xu, Jerri S. Avery, et al.
Citation: Multidisciplinary Scientific Journal, 2018,1(1), 42-56
Date: 06/2018
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Trends and Characteristics of Occupational Suicide and Homicide in Farmers and Agriculture Workers, 1992–2010
Presents a study on rates of work-related suicide and homicide among farmworkers from 1992-2010. Breaks down rates by year and region, and compares farmworkers to other occupations.
Author(s): Wendy Ringgenberg, Corinne Peek-Asa, Kelley Donham, Marizen Ramirez
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 34(3), 246-253
Date: 2018
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Understanding the Impact of Suicide In Rural America
Analyzes suicide rates and the impact of suicide in rural areas, highlights suicide in tribal communities and suicide prevention among U.S. veterans. Covers state and federal prevention strategies and discusses recommendations for research and evaluation, and outreach, promotion, and awareness.
Date: 12/2017
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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