Substance Use and Misuse in Rural Areas – Resources

Wild . . . But Not So Wonderful - Responding to Injection Drug Use in West Virginia
Discusses the progress of the opioid crisis, including co-occurring diseases, in West Virginia. Explores barriers and limitations to treatment, stigma, and harm reduction programs. Highlights considerations for policymakers.
Author(s): Robin A. Pollini
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 109(3), 354–355
Date: 03/2019
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Cigarette Smoking Rates among Veterans: Association with Rurality and Psychiatric Disorders
Details a study on rates of smoking among Iraq and Afghanistan era veterans in rural and urban areas. Looks at co-occurring mental health disorders and presents data by demographic factors, such as sex, ethnicity, and employment, among others.
Author(s): Lara N. Coughlin, Sarah M. Wilson, Meredith C. Erwin, et al.
Citation: Addictive Behaviors, 90, 119-123
Date: 03/2019
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Controlled Substance Use Among Psychiatric Patients in a Rural North Carolina Emergency Department
Features a study on common substances used by patients entering rural emergency departments (EDs) seeking mental health treatment. Focuses on a single ED in North Carolina and presents data by sex and substance used.
Author(s): Elizabeth Gignac, Godwin Y. Dogbey, Gregory Capece, et al.
Citation: Western Journal of Emergency Medicine: Integrating Emergency Care with Population Health, 20(2), 419-425
Date: 03/2019
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Identifying Areas with Disproportionate Local Health Department Services Relative to Opioid Overdose, HIV and Hepatitis C Diagnosis Rates: A Study of Rural Illinois
Highlights a study on access to opioid use disorder treatment services provided by local health departments in rural Illinois. Looks at services available, as well as county rates of opioid overdoses, HIV, and hepatitis C diagnosis rates.
Author(s): Colleen McLuckie, Mai T. Pho, Kaitlin Ellis, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(6), 989
Date: 03/2019
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Inpatient Stays Involving Mental and Substance Use Disorders, 2016
Examines inpatient stays involving mental and substance use disorders at community hospitals among patients 5 years old or older. Provides data on costs, length of stay, discharge status, patient demographics, primary expected payer, and hospital region. Table 2 includes data by location of patient residence for rural and urban areas.
Author(s): Pamela L. Owens, Kathryn R. Fingar, Kimberly W. McDermott, Pradip K. Muhuri, Kevin C. Heslin
Date: 03/2019
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Medications for Opioid Use Disorder Save Lives
Reports on the findings from an expert committee regarding the evidence behind using medications to treat opioid use disorder, as well as issues with accessing medication-based treatment. Chapter 3 includes a section focusing on rural populations and chapter 5 addresses rural/urban differences in the number of healthcare providers waivered to prescribe buprenorphine, a medication used to treat opioid-use disorder.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Committee on Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder
Date: 03/2019
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Estimating the Number of People Who Inject Drugs in A Rural County in Appalachia
Demonstrates how a group of researchers conducted data collection in Cabell County, West Virginia in June and July 2018, to estimate the number of people who inject drugs such as heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl. Features statistics including demographics and breakdowns by type of drug injected.
Author(s): Sean T. Allen, Allison O'Rourke, Rebecca Hamilton White, et al.
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 109(3), 445-450
Date: 03/2019
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Addressing the Rural Opioid Addiction and Overdose Crisis Through Cross-Sector Collaboration: Little Falls, Minnesota
Explores a cross-sector community-based care coordination effort to reduce the use of opioids in Little Falls, MN. Discusses the collaboration between a rural hospital and clinic with the Morrison County Accountable Communities for Health (ACH) program and highlights changes to opioid prescribing practices and community awareness of treatment options.
Author(s): Caroline Au-Yeung, Lynn A. Blewett, Kathy Lange
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 109(2), 260-262
Date: 02/2019
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Using Network and Spatial Data to Better Target Overdose Prevention Strategies in Rural Appalachia
Highlights a study aiming to target individuals most likely to need overdose interventions in rural Appalachia. Examines survey data for spatial and networking patterns in rural eastern Kentucky to identify individuals at risk of a drug overdose.
Author(s): Abby E. Rudolph, April M. Young, Jennifer R. Havens
Citation: Journal of Urban Health, 96(1), 27-37
Date: 02/2019
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Premature Mortality from All Causes and Drug Poisonings in the USA According to Socioeconomic Status and Rurality: An Analysis of Death Certificate Data by County from 2000–15
Examines premature deaths from drug poisoning versus all causes by county for various groups of people. Addresses differences by rural/urban location, socioeconomic status, education level, and sex, among other measures. See additional link for detailed tables.
Additional links: Supplementary Appendix
Author(s): Meredith S. Shiels, Amy Berrington de Gonzalez, Ana F. Best, et al.
Citation: The Lancet, 4(2), e97-e106
Date: 02/2019
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