Rural Mental Health – Resources

The Future of Rural Behavioral Health
Policy paper discussing the unique challenges of providing behavioral healthcare services in rural areas. Includes policy recommendations and interventions related to workforce development, reimbursement and financing, integration of care, and the use of technology in delivering behavioral healthcare.
Author(s): Will Wilson, Angela Bangs, Tammy Hatting
Date: 02/2015
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
view details

Behavioral Health Equity Barometer: United States, 2014
Reports on differences in prevalence of behavioral health disorders, perceptions of risk, and access to treatment for different populations. Includes information for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan residents, as well as by race/ethnicity, income level, and health insurance status.
Date: 2015
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
view details

The Prevalence and Correlates of Lifetime Psychiatric Disorders and Trauma Exposures in Urban and Rural Settings: Results from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R)
Results of a study of national statistics to compare the correspondence of exposure to trauma and psychiatric disorders, with a particular focus on rural communities. Includes statistics and data broken down by race, age, diagnosis, types of trauma, and rural or urban location.
Author(s): Jennifer S. McCall-Hosenfeld, Sucharita Mukherjee, Erik B. Lehman
Citation: PLoS One, 9(11)
Date: 11/2014
view details

Rural Parents' Perceived Stigma of Seeking Mental Health Services for Their Children: Development and Evaluation of a New Instrument
Discusses the effectiveness of a research tool to measure perceptions of stigma by parents living in rural Appalachia regarding the provision of mental health services for children with psychosocial issues.
Author(s): Stacey L. Williams, Jodi Polaha
Citation: Psychological Assessment, 26(3), 763-773
Date: 09/2014
view details

Implications of Rurality and Psychiatric Status for Diabetic Care Use among Adults with Diabetes
Examines patterns of diabetic preventive care use among adults with diabetes to determine whether these patterns varied according to respondents' rural/urban residence or psychiatric status (i.e. the presence/absence of a mental health diagnosis).
Author(s): Jean A. Talbot, Erika C. Ziller, Jennifer Lenardson, David Hartley
Date: 05/2014
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
view details

Primary Care, Behavioral Health, Provider Colocation, and Rurality
Results of a study regarding the colocation of behavioral health and primary care service delivery as related to rural. Study showed that 40.2% of primary care physicians in urban areas are colocated with behavioral health providers compared with 22.8% in isolated rural areas and 26.5% in frontier areas. Challenges include payment policies separating physical and behavioral health care, workforce distribution, and supply deficiencies, particularly in rural areas.
Author(s): Benjamin F. Miller, Stephen Petterson, Shandra M. Brown Levey, et al.
Citation: Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, 27(3), 367-374
Date: 05/2014
view details

Feasibility and Preliminary Outcomes From a Pilot Study of an Integrated Health-Mental Health Promotion Program in School Mental Health Services
Results of a study of adolescents and their parents who received mental health services in a school-based setting for emotional and behavioral problems. The participants lived in a rural and underserved southern region of the U.S. where low income, high poverty are prevalent and where few mental health services are available.
Author(s): Melissa W. George, Nevelyn N. Trumpeter, Dawn K. Wilson, et al.
Citation: Family & Community Health, 37(1), 19-30
Date: 01/2014
view details

A Needs-Based Method for Estimating the Behavioral Health Staff Needs of Community Health Centers
Analyzes data, from the 2010 Uniform Data System and 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, to estimate the number of full time behavioral health providers are needed to serve the health centers' growing patient population in rural and urban areas.
Author(s): Bridget Teevan Burke, Benjamin F. Miller, Michelle Proser, et al.
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 13, 245
Date: 07/2013
view details

Patterns of Care for Rural and Urban Children with Mental Health Problems
Examines the prevalence of mental health diagnoses in rural and urban children, as well as variation in treatment rates and psychotropic medication prescriptions. Addresses the effect of insurance type and income on mental health service use.
Additional links: Policy Brief: Rural Children Experience Different Rates of Mental Health Diagnosis and Treatment
Author(s): Nathaniel J. Anderson, Samantha J. Neuwirth, Jennifer D. Lenardson, David Hartley
Date: 06/2013
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
view details

Medicaid Handbook: Interface with Behavioral Health Services
Provides a basic understanding of the Medicaid program, specifically emphasizing the interplay between Medicaid principles and the provision of behavioral health services in both rural and urban settings.
Date: 2013
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
view details