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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Behavioral health

Houselessness and Syringe Service Program Utilization among People Who Inject Drugs in Eight Rural Areas Across the USA: A Cross-sectional Analysis
Examines the relationship between houselessness and syringe service program (SSP) use among people who inject drugs (PWID) in rural areas. Analyzes survey data from self-identified PWID across 10 states and explores data on PWID demographic profile, related drug use, proximity to SSPs, and more. Discusses housing instability in rural areas and potential barriers to SSP use.
Author(s): April M. Ballard, Dylan Falk, Harris Greenwood, et al.
Citation: Harm Reduction Journal, 20, 157
Date: 10/2023
Type: Document
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Telemedicine Buprenorphine Initiation and Retention in Opioid Use Disorder Treatment for Medicaid Enrollees
Evaluated buprenorphine treatment via telemedicine and overdose outcomes for 91,914 people in Kentucky and Ohio on Medicaid in 2020 to determine the impact of telemedicine on treatment retention and opioid-related nonfatal overdose. Includes discussion on the implications for rural residents.
Author(s): Lindsey R. Hammerslag, Aimee Mack, Redonna K. Chandler, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 6(10), e2336914
Date: 10/2023
Type: Document
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Emergency Department Visits Related to Mental Health Disorders Among Children and Adolescents: United States, 2018–2021
Reports on emergency department (ED) visits related to mental health disorders among children and adolescents, with a comparison to ED visits by children and adolescents without mental health disorders. Table 4 includes data by hospital characteristics, including location in a metropolitan or nonmetro area.
Author(s): Loredana Santo, Zachary J. Peters, Danielle Davis, Carol J. DeFrances
Date: 10/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Psychologists Need More Experience Working With Indigenous Populations
Discusses the need for more psychologists with knowledge and experience working with Indigenous communities. Highlights the lack of cultural knowledge among psychologists about American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander populations.
Author(s): Karen Stamm, Meron Assefa, Luona Lin
Date: 10/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Psychological Association
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Strategies for Supervising People with Mental Illnesses on Probation Caseloads: Results from a Nationwide Study
Examines how probation agencies screen mental health, determine supervision strategies based on characteristics of the caseload, and supervise their probation cases when the individual has a mental illness. Analyzes survey data related to probation caseloads from 179 respondents, each representing a unique U.S. county, with comparisons between rural and urban counties.
Author(s): Tonya B. Van Deinse, Mariah Cowell Mercier, Allison K. Waters, et al.
Citation: Health & Justice, 11, 41
Date: 10/2023
Type: Document
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Telehealth Use and Availability in VHA Outpatient Mental Health Care
Report discusses the use and availability of telehealth for outpatient mental healthcare within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Explores telehealth use and availability in rural areas, highlights barriers to both, and discusses how the VHA can adapt.
Author(s): PhiYen Nguyen, Izabela Sadej, Elsa Pearson Sites, et al.
Date: 10/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Partnered Evidence-based Policy Resource Center (PEPReC), U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
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The Costs and Benefits of Recreational Cannabis Legalization in Illinois: County Level Analysis
Provides an analysis of costs and benefits of recreational marijuana in metro versus nonmetro counties in Illinois. Includes data on cannabis sales by month as well as tax estimates, healthcare costs, and average usage by county and metro versus nonmetro location.
Author(s): Adee Athiyaman
Date: 10/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs
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Rural-Urban Disparities in Health Outcomes, Clinical Care, Health Behaviors, and Social Determinants of Health and an Action-Oriented, Dynamic Tool for Visualizing Them
Examines county-level disparities in rural and urban health outcomes and presents a health equity dashboard depicting the disparities. Utilizes 2015 and 2019 County Health Rankings datasets to analyze measures such as health outcomes, clinical care, health behaviors, physical environment, and social and economic factors according to urban, suburban, and rural location.
Author(s): William B. Weeks, Ji E. Chang, José A. Pagán, et al.
Citation: PLOS Global Public Health, 3(10)
Date: 10/2023
Type: Document
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Medicare Payment Basics: Inpatient Psychiatric Facilities Services Payment System
Overview of Medicare's payment system for inpatient psychiatric services provided in freestanding hospitals or specialized hospital-based units. Demonstrates how payments for these services are adjusted to reflect geographic differences in labor costs, and cost of care by facility and patient characteristics.
Date: 10/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Maintaining Fidelity to ACT: Current Issues and Innovations in Implementation
Reports on principles, implementation, and population-based adaptions of the Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) model, which provides community-based treatment and recovery services for people with serious mental illness and high risk of concurrent substance use, homelessness, criminal justice system involvement, or psychiatric crisis. See pages 35-38 for discussion of rural ACT implementation and modifications.
Date: 09/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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