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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Stigma

Access to Specialty Healthcare in Urban Versus Rural US Populations: A Systematic Literature Review
Surveys research between January 2013 – August 2018 on healthcare access, seeking clear definition and understanding of barriers to specialty care. Draws data from 67 peer-reviewed articles, presenting a conceptual framework based on common themes. Discusses issues of availability, perception, policy, stigma, and other access factors.
Author(s): Melissa E. Cyr, Anna G. Etchin, Barbara J. Guthrie, James C. Benneyan
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 19, 974
Date: 12/2019
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Community-Driven Strategies to Address Stigma and Build Healthier Communities in Maine
Describes 3 communities working to reduce stigma in order to create equitable systems that enhance the health and well-being of Maine residents. Presents community responses to reducing stigma, common themes, and implications for complex system change initiatives in health.
Author(s): Susan Foster, Teresa Doksum
Date: 11/2019
Sponsoring organization: Maine Health Access Foundation
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Rural First Responder Access to Mental Health Care: A National Crisis
Explores mental health challenges experienced by first responders and increased risk of suicide. Describes barriers to accessing adequate mental healthcare within the scope of their employment, especially in rural areas where services remain limited and stigma may be associated with the need for assistance.
Author(s): Jeffrey Hintz, Carrie Hintz
Date: 10/2019
Sponsoring organization: Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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Factors that Influence Access to Medication-Assisted Treatment
Results of a study examining factors that influence access to medication-assisted treatment and substance use disorder treatment, including rural location, stigma, shortage of providers, and insurance coverage. Uses data from an electronic survey distributed to 59 State Opioid Treatment Authorities or Single State Authorities in the spring of 2019.
Additional links: Policy Brief
Author(s): Dana Foney, Shannon Mace
Date: 08/2019
Sponsoring organizations: National Council for Mental Wellbeing, University of Michigan Behavioral Health Workforce Research Center
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Supportive Services and Caregiving for Older Rural Adults: Policy Brief and Recommendations to the Secretary
Provides an overview of current supportive services and caregiving policies for rural older adults, in terms of availability, accessibility, and acceptability of services. Explores topics including long-term services and supports, telehealth, care coordination, transportation, stigma, and unpaid caregivers, and describes federal programs for older adults. Offers policy recommendations and considerations.
Date: 08/2019
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Psychosocial Supports in Medication-Assisted Treatment: Site Visit Findings and Conclusions
Profiles 5 programs that offer medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder (OUD), including several with rural components. Covers psychosocial support offered, staffing and staff training, collaboration and coordination, financing, data collection and quality improvement, lessons learned, and next steps for each program. Discusses the aspects of psychosocial support that are most important for positive outcomes, types of psychosocial support being used, and factors helping or impeding psychosocial support implementation, including stigma and workforce challenges. Appendix B reviews the literature on psychosocial support in MAT.
Additional links: Appendix B: Psychosocial Supports in Medication-Assisted Treatment: Recent Evidence and Current Practice
Author(s): Garrett Moran, Hannah Knudsen, Caroline Snyder
Date: 07/2019
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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At the Front Lines in Tennessee: Rural Clinic Offers Trauma-Informed Treatment for Substance Use Disorder
Describes the work of a rural Tennessee physician who uses medication-assisted treatment, cognitive behavioral therapy, and group therapy sessions to treat patients struggling with substance use disorder. Explores the connection between adverse childhood experiences and substance abuse, and stigma associated with seeking treatment.
Author(s): Mariel Gingrich
Date: 06/2019
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies
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American Farm Bureau Federation Rural Stress Polling Presentation
Summarizes the results of a survey of rural adults, farmers, and farmworkers regarding mental health. Includes statistics and data describing access to mental health resources, mental health concerns for farmers, ways to reduce stigma, general impressions of mental health, and more.
Date: 04/2019
Sponsoring organizations: American Farm Bureau Federation, Morning Consult
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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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Behavioral and Clinical Characteristics of American Indian/Alaska Native Adults in HIV Care — Medical Monitoring Project, United States, 2011–2015
Reports on sociodemographic, behavioral, and clinical characteristics of American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) patients in HIV care. Includes information on stigma, healthcare discrimination, social supports, depression, substance use, sex without a condom, antiretroviral therapy adherence, and viral suppression.
Author(s): Amy R. Baugher, Linda Beer, Heather M. Bradley, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 67(5152), 1405-1409
Date: 01/2019
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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