Substance Use and Misuse in Rural Areas – Resources

The Use of E-cigarettes among School-going Adolescents in a Predominantly Rural Environment of Central Appalachia
Highlights a study on e-cigarette use among adolescents in rural Northeast Tennessee. Breaks down data by gender, age, and the concurrent use of e-cigarette and other tobacco products, among other factors.
Author(s): Daniel Owusu, Jocelyn Aibangbee, Candice Collins, et al.
Citation: Journal of Community Health, 42(3), 624-631
Date: 06/2017
view details

Rural and Urban Utilization of the Emergency Department for Mental Health and Substance Abuse
Details a report on the use of emergency services in treating mental health and substance abuse (MH/SA) in both rural and urban settings. Discusses healthcare needs of MH/SA patients, as well as the increasing demands on emergency departments. Breaks down data by urban, large rural, small rural, and isolated rural emergency departments, as well as by age and primary payer of patients.
Author(s): Shawnda Schroeder, Mandi Leigh-Peterson
Date: 06/2017
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Reform Policy Research Center
view details

Changes in the Supply of Physicians with a DEA DATA Waiver to Prescribe Buprenorphine for Opioid Use Disorder
Data brief describing changes in access to waivered physicians from 2012 to 2016. Features a county-level map and statistics with breakdowns by urban areas and three levels of rural areas.
Author(s): C. Holly A. Andrilla, Cynthia Coulthard, Eric H. Larson
Date: 05/2017
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
view details

Substance Use in Rural Central Appalachia: Current Status and Treatment Considerations
Examines the factors in rural Central Appalachia that influence substance misuse and the treatments, strategies, and interventions to curb drug misuse and improve treatment outcomes. Discusses how the combination of poverty, work-related distress, lack of healthcare coverage, and the shortage of qualified providers of substance use treatments affect the need for a multifaceted policy approach in the region.
Author(s): Lara Moody, Emily Satterwhite, Warren K. Bickel
Citation: Rural Mental Health, 41(2), 123-135
Date: 04/2017
view details

Report on Lessons Learned from Rural Opioid Overdose Reversal Grant Recipients
Presents lessons learned from the recipients of the Rural Opioid Overdose Reversal (ROOR) Program grants. The ROOR Program was piloted by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) in 2015 and seeks to combat the opioid crisis at the local level. Report also shares resources designed to assist other rural organizations and documents the impact of the pilot year program. Provides background information on each of the 18 original grant recipients and their programs.
Date: 04/2017
Sponsoring organization: National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health
view details

Rural Opioid Prevention and Treatment Strategies: The Experience in Four States
Study examining strategies for dealing with the rural opioid crisis, including prevention, treatment, and recovery services. Uses data from interviews with key stakeholders in Indiana, North Carolina, Vermont, and Washington.
Additional links: Research and Policy Brief
Author(s): John A. Gale, Anush Y. Hansen, Martha Elbaum Williamson
Date: 04/2017
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
view details

Prevention of Drug Use and Treatment of Drug Use Disorders in Rural Areas
Discusses the role and potential benefits of engaging rural communities in the treatment and prevention of substance use disorders. Includes a discussion of substance use problems in the rural context, and provides examples of useful tools and evidence-based strategies. Provides a list of additional resources, and a self-assessment tool designed to help identify needs, capacities, and strategies in your community.
Date: 03/2017
Sponsoring organization: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
view details

Combatting the Opioid Epidemic with Provider and Public Education
Highlights from a conversation with Fred Wells Brason II, discussing community-based efforts to reduce opioid misuse and abuse in rural communities. Brason helped found Project Lazarus in Wilkes County, North Carolina, which reduced the overdose rate in Wilkes County by 72 percent over three years. The Project Lazarus model has since spread to more than 20 states and focuses on cross-sector collaboration, public and provider education, and increasing access to treatment.
Citation: Transforming Care: Reporting on Health System Improvement
Date: 03/2017
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
view details

Vermont Care Network Advocates for Behavioral Health and Developmental Disability Agencies
Highlights the work of the Vermont Care Network, which supports 16 non-profit agencies that provide behavioral health and developmental disability services in the state. Discusses cross-sector collaboration and integration of mental health, substance use, and developmental disability services with primary care.
Author(s): Jenn Lukens
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 03/2017
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
view details

Reducing Risky Sex among Rural African American Cocaine Users: A Controlled Trial
Details a study on a STI/HIV risk-reduction program for rural African American cocaine users. Looks specifically the intervention's effect on condom use and sexual risk negotiation skills, among other factors.
Author(s): Katharine E. Stewart, Patricia B. Wright, Brooke E. E. Montgomery, et al.
Citation: Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 28(1), 528-547
Date: 02/2017
view details