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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.

Mental Health, Substance Use, and Suicidal Ideation During the COVID-19 Pandemic - United States, June 24-30, 2020
Reports on the number of adults experiencing elevated adverse mental health conditions associated with COVID-19. Features statistics on self-reported incidence of anxiety or depressive disorder, trauma- and stressor-related disorder (TSRD) related to the pandemic, and substance use, with breakdowns by rural or urban residence.
Author(s): Mark E. Czeisler, Rashon I. Lane, Emiko Petrosky, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 69(32),1049-1057
Date: 08/2020
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Alcohol Use and Co-Use of Other Substances Among Pregnant Females Aged 12–44 Years — United States, 2015–2018
Examines self-reported drinking in the past 12 months, current drinking, binge drinking, and the co-use of other substances among pregnant females aged 12–44 years. Includes data for metropolitan, micropolitan, and rural areas.
Author(s): Lucinda J. England, Carolyne Bennett, Clark H. Denny, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 69(31), 1009-1014
Date: 08/2020
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Integrating Responses to the Opioid Use Disorder and Infectious Disease Epidemics
Highlights the epidemic of infectious diseases co-occurring with opioid use disorder and the need for integrated treatment. Discusses barriers. such as workforce training, payment, and data sharing, among others. Includes suggestions for rural areas.
Author(s): Sandra A. Springer, Andrew P. Merluzzi, Carlos del Rio
Citation: JAMA, 324(1), 37-38
Date: 07/2020
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Responding to Behavioral Health Needs in Rural America
Presentation slides discussing behavioral health issues and needs in rural America. Describes approaches to enhance behavioral health service delivery and implications for public policy.
Author(s): Keith J. Mueller
Date: 07/2020
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute
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Strategies for Rural Communities for Addressing Substance Misuse among Families Involved with the Child Welfare System
Describes nine programs across seven states that have addressed challenges to serving child welfare-involved parents with substance use issues through mentoring, case management, providing access to treatment and affordable housing, and other support services. Discusses considerations for expanding and replicating these programs in rural communities.
Additional links: Research Summary
Author(s): Jung Kim, Elizabeth Clary, Christina Ribar, Sarah Palmer, Elizabeth Weigensberg
Date: 07/2020
Sponsoring organizations: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, Mathematica
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Social Determinants of Health and County Population Rates of Opioid-Related Inpatient Stays and Emergency Department Visits, 2016
Examines characteristics of U.S. counties, comparing counties with high and low rates of opioid-related inpatient stays and treat-and-release emergency department (ED) visits among patients 15 years and older. Includes data for metro, rural adjacent to metro, and rural remote counties, as well as by urban-rural location and poverty rate.
Author(s): Pamela L. Owens, Audrey J. Weiss, Marguerite L. Barrett, Lawrence D. Reid
Date: 06/2020
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Drug Education and Cessation Programs Help Teens Avoid or Quit Vaping
Highlights vaping education programs reaching rural schools in California and Tennessee, as well as a multi-state program helping teens in 18 states quit vaping.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 06/2020
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Engaging Critical Access Hospitals in Addressing Rural Substance Use
Provides a framework for Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) to identify and address substance use needs in their communities. Includes examples of rural CAH substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery strategies.
Author(s): John Gale, Sara Kahn-Troster, Zachariah Croll, Nathan First
Date: 06/2020
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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CMS Roadmap: Strategy to Fight the Opioid Crisis
An overview of the efforts the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is undertaking to address the opioid epidemic. Highlights a three-pronged approach focusing on prevention, treatment, and data utilization to target prevention and treatment activities.
Date: 06/2020
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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The Implementation of a Culturally Grounded, School-Based, Drug Prevention Curriculum in Rural Hawai'i
Details the development of a school-based drug prevention program for Hawaiian youth. Discusses the development and implementation of the Ho'ouna Pono program curriculum and evaluates the program based on student and teacher experiences, implementation structure and logistics, and standardized testing, among other measures.
Author(s): Scott K. Okamoto, Susana Helm, Steven Keone Chin, et al.
Citation: Journal of Community Psychology, 48(4), 1085-1099
Date: 05/2020
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Last Updated: 6/19/2025