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Rural Health Information Hub

Substance Use and Misuse in Rural Areas – Resources

Selected recent or important resources focusing on Substance Use and Misuse in Rural Areas.

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
Type: Document
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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
Type: Document
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 (BHSS) and community-initiated care (CIC) to support licensed behavioral health professionals. Offers policy recommendations to strengthen the roles of the non-clinical workforce.
Date: 01/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Bipartisan Policy Center
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NSDUH (National Survey on Drug Use and Health) Detailed Tables - 2021
Presents 2021 survey data, including revisions, on use of illicit drugs, alcohol, and tobacco, trends in substance use disorder and mental health, and access to treatment for youth and adults. Features statistics for a variety of demographic and geographic characteristics, including rural versus urban status. Includes information on substance use and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Date: 01/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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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
Type: Document
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Early Interventions for Psychosis - First Episodes and High Risk Populations: Proceedings of a Workshop
Highlights the proceedings of a 2022 workshop hosted by the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine and discusses how early interventions can improve outcomes for those who are as high risk of behavioral health issues. Details the challenges rurality can present to providers and patients.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Forum on Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders
Date: 2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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2023 Physician Fee Schedule Update
Webinar recording discusses the CMS Calendar Year (CY) 2023 Physician Fee Schedule and highlights how the policy changes around behavioral health and telehealth services may affect rural communities. Features presentations from representatives of the Health Resources and Services Administration and the CMS Center for Medicare, Hospital and Ambulatory Policy Group, Division of Ambulatory Services .
Additional links: Audio Recording, Webinar Slides, Webinar Transcript
Date: 12/2022
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Disparities in Current Cigarette Smoking Among US Adults With Mental Health Conditions
Examines the prevalence of smoking among adults with reported mental health conditions. Analyzes 19,398 respondents from the 2019 and 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health and breaks down the data state-by-state as well as by age, sex, sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, education, disability, annual income, marriage status, health insurance and employment status, having been arrested in the past 12 months, and large metro, small metro, and nonmetro/rural area.
Author(s): Caitlin G. Loretan, Teresa W. Wang, Christina V. Watson, Ahmed Jamal
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 19
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
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Florence County Alcohol & Other Drug Abuse and Mental Health Coalition - Increasing Community Capacity and Resources through Partnership
Details a community effort to address substance use and mental health issues in rural Florence County, WI. Highlights the coalition's efforts to address the behavioral health of the county's youth and families through school-based efforts and discusses how collective action can address behavioral health issues in rural communities.
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Bright Research Group, County Health Rankings & Roadmaps
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Racial and Ethnic Differences in Emergency Department Visits Related to Substance Use Disorders, 2019
Explores emergency department (ED) visits related to substance use disorders (SUD) using data from the 2019 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS). Presents the number and percentage of SUD-related ED visits by race and ethnicity for selected patient characteristics, including sex, age group, rural/urban location, and the social vulnerability of the county in which the individual resides.
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Last Updated: 2/9/2023