Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Substance use and misuse
State of North Carolina's Mental Health and Substance Use Services Workforce: Need, Supply, and Distribution Landscape Assessment
Provides an overview on need, supply, and distribution of behavioral health professionals in Indiana. Includes county-level maps and data on workforce and behavioral health issues.
Author(s): Brianna Lombardi, Jennifer Headley, Monica P. Jimenez, et al.
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research
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Provides an overview on need, supply, and distribution of behavioral health professionals in Indiana. Includes county-level maps and data on workforce and behavioral health issues.
Author(s): Brianna Lombardi, Jennifer Headley, Monica P. Jimenez, et al.
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research
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Empowering Rural Communities: Overcoming Barriers to Substance Use Treatment
Webinar recording discusses the ways rural communities can overcome barriers to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and uptake. Explores substance use data for rural communities and outlines common barriers, such as travel times and distance to care, provider shortages, and concerns about stigma and patient confidentiality. Highlights strategies for rural communities to leverage their community bonds and faith communities to address SUD, and details models for expanding treatment and patient support in rural areas.
Additional links: Webinar Slides
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Addiction Technology Transfer Center Network
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Webinar recording discusses the ways rural communities can overcome barriers to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and uptake. Explores substance use data for rural communities and outlines common barriers, such as travel times and distance to care, provider shortages, and concerns about stigma and patient confidentiality. Highlights strategies for rural communities to leverage their community bonds and faith communities to address SUD, and details models for expanding treatment and patient support in rural areas.
Additional links: Webinar Slides
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Addiction Technology Transfer Center Network
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Methamphetamine Use, Mental Health Comorbidities, and Treatment in Rural and Urban Areas, 2016-2019
Examines the prevalence of methamphetamine use by level of rurality and U.S. region, with data on methamphetamine use and mental illness, suicide and suicidal ideation, concurrent alcohol use, treatment for methamphetamine use disorder, method of use, and other relating to methamphetamine use prevalence and associated risks.
Author(s): Signe E. Burchim, Lisa A. Garberson, Sara C. Woolcock, et al.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Examines the prevalence of methamphetamine use by level of rurality and U.S. region, with data on methamphetamine use and mental illness, suicide and suicidal ideation, concurrent alcohol use, treatment for methamphetamine use disorder, method of use, and other relating to methamphetamine use prevalence and associated risks.
Author(s): Signe E. Burchim, Lisa A. Garberson, Sara C. Woolcock, et al.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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The Economic Burden of Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders: The United States and the Heartland Region
Examines how mental health and substance use disorders (MH/SUDs) affect healthcare spending and lost productivity in the heartland region of the United States, using 2016-2023 AHRQ MEPS data from seven selected states. See page 20 for discussion of rurality as a factor influencing MH/SUD treatment access.
Author(s): Alexandra F. Kritikos, Meg Hefferon, Devi Chelluri, MacKenzie L. Hughes
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: NORC at the University of Chicago
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Examines how mental health and substance use disorders (MH/SUDs) affect healthcare spending and lost productivity in the heartland region of the United States, using 2016-2023 AHRQ MEPS data from seven selected states. See page 20 for discussion of rurality as a factor influencing MH/SUD treatment access.
Author(s): Alexandra F. Kritikos, Meg Hefferon, Devi Chelluri, MacKenzie L. Hughes
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: NORC at the University of Chicago
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Clinical and Demographic Characteristics of Participants in a Hepatitis C Treatment Trial in Rural Kentucky: How Policies Around Treatment Access May Impact Elimination Efforts in the United States
Examines characteristics and drug use patterns of the participants in the Kentucky Viral Hepatitis C Treatment (KeY Treat) trial, which focuses on improving access to direct acting antiviral (DAA) drugs to treat the hepatitis C virus (HCV). Discuses Medicaid policy related to DAA treatment of HCV in a rural, Appalachian community in Kentucky.
Author(s): Jennifer R. Havens, Brittney D. Williams, Takako Schaninger, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(1), e70128
Date: 02/2026
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Examines characteristics and drug use patterns of the participants in the Kentucky Viral Hepatitis C Treatment (KeY Treat) trial, which focuses on improving access to direct acting antiviral (DAA) drugs to treat the hepatitis C virus (HCV). Discuses Medicaid policy related to DAA treatment of HCV in a rural, Appalachian community in Kentucky.
Author(s): Jennifer R. Havens, Brittney D. Williams, Takako Schaninger, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(1), e70128
Date: 02/2026
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The Interaction of Tobacco Retailer Density and Rurality with Tobacco Use Prevalence in Kentucky
Explores the relationship between the prevalence of tobacco retailers and rates of tobacco use in rural counties in Kentucky. Highlights rates of smoking and smokeless tobacco use by county retailer density.
Author(s): Shyanika W. Rose, W. Jay Christian, Judy van de Venne, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(1), e70106
Date: 01/2026
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Explores the relationship between the prevalence of tobacco retailers and rates of tobacco use in rural counties in Kentucky. Highlights rates of smoking and smokeless tobacco use by county retailer density.
Author(s): Shyanika W. Rose, W. Jay Christian, Judy van de Venne, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(1), e70106
Date: 01/2026
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Expanding Access to Harm Reduction in Rural Communities Through Community-Informed Public Health Vending Machines
Examines the role of public health vending machines (PHVMs) to address the opioid epidemic in rural counties in North Carolina. Utilizes a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach to gather qualitative feedback among people with substance use experience regarding issues such as naloxone access, stigma, preferred PHVM locations and distribution models, and more.
Author(s): Lori Ann Eldridge, Christian Dotson, Lauren Harrell, et al.
Citation: Harm Reduction Journal, 23, 26
Date: 01/2026
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Examines the role of public health vending machines (PHVMs) to address the opioid epidemic in rural counties in North Carolina. Utilizes a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach to gather qualitative feedback among people with substance use experience regarding issues such as naloxone access, stigma, preferred PHVM locations and distribution models, and more.
Author(s): Lori Ann Eldridge, Christian Dotson, Lauren Harrell, et al.
Citation: Harm Reduction Journal, 23, 26
Date: 01/2026
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Integrating Substance Use Disorder Prevention with Physical Health Care: Progress in States
Discusses how states can integrate substance use disorder (SUD) prevention with physical healthcare, including examples of integration activities that are applicable to rural settings. Highlights opportunities for behavioral health integration aimed at serving adolescents aged 12-18. Includes a rural case study example of a school-based health center SUD prevention program in Oregon.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Discusses how states can integrate substance use disorder (SUD) prevention with physical healthcare, including examples of integration activities that are applicable to rural settings. Highlights opportunities for behavioral health integration aimed at serving adolescents aged 12-18. Includes a rural case study example of a school-based health center SUD prevention program in Oregon.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Mobile Telemedicine for Treating Chronic Hepatitis C among Rural People Who Inject Drugs: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Explores the efficacy of a mobile telemedicine-based intervention for hepatitis C (HCV) infections among rural people who inject drugs. Highlights the outcomes of the intervention in terms of treatment initiation, viral clearance, and reduced equipment sharing. Breaks down data by demographic characteristics, outcomes, and risks and probabilities, among other measures.
Author(s): Peter D. Friedmann, Donna Wilson, David de Gijsel, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 9(1), e2555125
Date: 01/2026
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Explores the efficacy of a mobile telemedicine-based intervention for hepatitis C (HCV) infections among rural people who inject drugs. Highlights the outcomes of the intervention in terms of treatment initiation, viral clearance, and reduced equipment sharing. Breaks down data by demographic characteristics, outcomes, and risks and probabilities, among other measures.
Author(s): Peter D. Friedmann, Donna Wilson, David de Gijsel, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 9(1), e2555125
Date: 01/2026
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Examining Rural Community Pharmacists' Knowledge and Practices in Opioid Overdose Prevention and Treatment Services in the Southeastern United States
Highlights a study on the knowledge and practices of rural pharmacists around opioid use disorder-related education and counseling in the Southeastern U.S. Presents data by pharmacist demographic characteristics, knowledge, and experience with medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD).
Author(s): Stefanie P. Ferreri, Paige Q. Ngo, Kaileigh D. Yen, Kevin Wang, et al.
Citation: Harm Reduction Journal, 23(11)
Date: 01/2026
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Highlights a study on the knowledge and practices of rural pharmacists around opioid use disorder-related education and counseling in the Southeastern U.S. Presents data by pharmacist demographic characteristics, knowledge, and experience with medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD).
Author(s): Stefanie P. Ferreri, Paige Q. Ngo, Kaileigh D. Yen, Kevin Wang, et al.
Citation: Harm Reduction Journal, 23(11)
Date: 01/2026
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