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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Behavioral health

Health Professional Shortage Areas: Mental Health
Printable map that shows nonmetropolitan and micropolitan mental health HPSAs on one color scale and metropolitan mental health HPSAs on another. Data source: data.HRSA.gov
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Psychosocial Distress among Individuals Residing in a Rural PFAS-Contaminated Community
Examines how perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) impact the psychosocial distress of individuals in a rural Maine community affected by agricultural biosolid spreading and contaminated water. Analyzes level of PFAS in drinking water alongside participant characteristics, such as sociodemographics, mental health, coping mechanisms, and consequences of PFAS contamination.
Author(s): Elizabeth Scharnetzki, Lisa B Rokoff, Katherine Senechal, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 272, 114736
Date: 12/2025
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Openness to Mental Health Information and Barriers to Accessing Care Among Midwestern Farmers
Surveyed 1024 midwestern farmers to determine their preferred sources for receiving mental health information and the stigma, instrumental, and attitudinal barriers in accessing mental healthcare.
Author(s): Courtney Cuthbertson, Samantha Iwinski, Asa Billington, Josie Rudolphi
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 23(1), 27
Date: 12/2025
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Report on the Mental Health Program for Veterans for Fiscal Year 2025
Reports on the Texas Health and Human Service Commission (HHSC) and Texas Veterans Commission's (TVC) programs to ensure access to behavioral health services for service members, veterans, and their family members (SMVF) during fiscal year 2025 in Texas. Highlights the needs of rural SMVF throughout, and discusses services provided by the Rural Veteran Counselor (RVC) program.
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: Texas Health and Human Services
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Testing Oral Nicotine Pouches Versus Nicotine Replacement Therapy for Cigarette Harm Reduction in Appalachia: The ARISE Study Protocol
Study protocol for the Appalachian Research to Impact Smoking's Effects (ARISE) study, which will examine the provision of oral nicotine pouches versus nicotine replacement therapy among adult smokers living in rural Appalachian counties across 11 states.
Author(s): Amy Wermert, Theodore M. Brasky, Alison M. Newton, et al.
Citation: PLOS ONE, 20(12), e0338503
Date: 12/2025
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Use of Telehealth in Nonmetropolitan and Metropolitan Areas, United States 2021-2023
Statistical brief on differences in telehealth use in nonmetropolitan and metropolitan areas, utilizing 2021-2023 AHRQ Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component (MEPS-HC) data. Breaks down rural and urban frequency of telehealth use by specialty, primary source of payment, and more.
Author(s): Sandra Decker
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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State of the Behavioral Health Workforce, 2025
Offers demographic and occupational data on the behavioral health workforce including current and projected shortages. Data sources range from 2022 through 2024. Offers comparisons of shortages between rural and urban counties. Discusses challenges driving workforce shortages.
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Health Resources and Services Administration, National Center for Health Workforce Analysis
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2021-2024 NSDUH Data Brief: Trends in Substance Use among Young Adults
Report details the substance use trends for young adults from 2021 to 2024 based on the findings from the Nation Survey on Drug Use and Health. Identifies substance use patterns and breaks down data by age, substance used, and whether participants resided in a large or small metropolitan or nonmetro county.
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Rural Health Transformation Program State Application Summary: State-level Initiatives & Proposed Activities
Summarizes focus areas for each state in the applications for the Rural Health Transformation Program and highlights common themes across all applications.
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Policy Brief: Access to Mental Health Care for Ohio Children and Youth
Discusses mental healthcare access challenges for youth in Ohio. Provides county-level map showing Mental Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) and discusses access issues specific to rural areas.
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: Health Policy Institute of Ohio
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