Substance Use and Misuse in Rural Areas – Resources

Over the Hills and Through the Hollers: How One Program is Assisting Residents of Appalachia with Opioid Use Recovery
Results of a study evaluating the Kentucky Access to Recovery Program (KATR), which provides services to low-income adults recovering from opioid addiction in several rural eastern Kentucky counties. Examines the impact of KATR on service recipients' access to recovery services and supports.
Author(s): Aubrey E. Jones, Jayme E. Walters, Aaron R. Brown
Citation: Journal of Appalachian Health, 4(3), 71-86
Date: 01/2023
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Trends and Characteristics of Buprenorphine-Involved Overdose Deaths Prior to and During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Details a study evaluating the rates of buprenorphine-involved overdose deaths before the COVID-19 pandemic and during the pandemic when prescribing regulations were loosened. Compares overdose mortality rates involving buprenorphine in 2019 and 2021 and breaks down data by a number of demographic factors, including rural versus urban location.
Author(s): Lauren J. Tanz, Christopher M. Jones, Nicole L. Davis, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 6(1), e2251856
Date: 01/2023
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2020 Rural Opioid Overdose Mortality
Highlights the rate of rural opioid overdose mortality in 2020 for several northern New England states and compares it to the national rate. Breaks down rates based on substances used as well.
Date: 01/2023
Sponsoring organization: University of Vermont Center on Rural Addiction
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Telemedicine Use and Quality of Opioid Use Disorder Treatment in the US During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Results of a study of 1,768 clinicians treating 11,801 patients with opioid use disorder (OUD), to examine the association between telemedicine adoption during the COVID-19 pandemic and indicators of OUD treatment quality. Explores medications for OUD (MOUD) prescribing and OUD-related clinical events, including drug overdose, inpatient detoxification, and rehabilitation center stay. Features statistics including patient and clinician characteristics, with breakdowns by metropolitan, micropolitan, small town, and rural location.
Author(s): Ruth Hailu, Ateev Mehrotra, Haiden A. Huskamp, Alisa B. Busch, Michael L. Barnett
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 6(1)
Date: 01/2023
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Rural Resource Guide: Affordable Housing and Recovery in Rural Communities
Provides an overview on federal regulations related to housing applicants with substance use disorder (SUD) and/or criminal charges. Reports on housing programs provided by Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Discusses affordable housing in rural areas as a necessary component in SUD recovery.
Date: 01/2023
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
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Filling the Gaps in the Behavioral Health Workforce
Discusses the shortage of licensed behavioral health workers in rural and underserved communities. Explores the roles of behavioral health support specialists and community-initiated care to support licensed behavioral health professionals. Offers policy recommendations to strengthen the roles of the nonclinical workforce.
Date: 01/2023
Sponsoring organization: Bipartisan Policy Center
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Participation in Project ECHO to Advance Rural Primary Care Providers' Ability to Address Patient Mental Health Needs
Features a study on the role continuing education programs, such as Project ECHO, can play in aiding rural primary care providers (PCPs) to integrate behavioral healthcare into their practice. Focuses on the Advanced Primary Care (APC ECHO) Adult Psychiatry Module and evaluates its efficacy in facilitating behavioral health integration in to rural PCPs.
Author(s): Ariel Porto, Rosemary Motz, Maximillian Morris, et al.
Citation: Medical Education Online, 28(1), 2164470
Date: 01/2023
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Rural Healthy People 2030
Presents literature reviews of 20 rural public health priority topics identified through a survey of rural stakeholders. Reviews the scope of each topic, discusses related goals and objectives from the national Healthy People 2030 initiative, identifies affected populations, highlights interventions and solutions, and more. Topics include mental health, substance use, social determinants of health, access to care, quality of care, chronic health conditions, and COVID-19.
Author(s): Alva O. Ferdinand, Jane N. Bolin, Timothy Callaghan, et al.
Date: 2023
Sponsoring organization: Southwest Rural Health Research Center
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Health Disparities in Central Nervous System Disorders: Driving Transformative Change: Proceedings of a Workshop–in Brief
Highlights the proceedings of a workshop on strategies to reduce health disparities relating to central nervous system (CNS) disorders. Explores CNS health disparities in rural and low-income communities and among racial and ethnic minority groups, such as American Indian and Alaska Native tribal nations. Discusses the roles academia, industry, and the government have in creating a diverse neuroscience workforce to advance community partnerships and collaborations.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Board on Health Sciences Policy
Date: 2023
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Connecting Communities to Substance Use Services: Practical Approaches for First Responders
Discusses strategies for first responders in connecting people who use drugs to substance use services including training, developing partnerships, and examples of programs across the country. Chapter 4 covers rural-specific challenges.
Date: 2023
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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