Rural Mental Health – Resources

Rural US Residents Recognize Anxiety Better than Urbanites and Suburbanites but Hold Similar Stigma
Surveys 627 adults to find whether rural adults are more likely to recognize anxiety symptoms when compared with nonrural adults. Also examines stigma regarding anxiety and compares results between both rural and nonrural adults and level of access to mental health services. Data is broken down by multiple variables including sex, race, age, household income, education, rurality, and more.
Author(s): Scott Loveridge, Mark Skidmore, Robert Shupp, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 39(4), 860-869
Date: 03/2023
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Rates of Primary Care and Integrated Mental Health Telemedicine Visits Between Rural and Urban Veterans Affairs Beneficiaries Before and After the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Shares the results of a study examining changes over time in rural-urban differences in telemedicine use for primary care and mental health integration services among Veterans Affairs (VA) beneficiaries. Uses data from 138 VA healthcare systems from March 2019 to December 2021. Features demographics and statistics with breakdowns by visit type and rural or urban area.
Author(s): Lucinda B. Leung, Caroline Yoo, Karen Chu, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 6(3)
Date: 03/2023
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Availability of Behavioral Health Providers and Services in Rural Areas, with Holly Andrilla
An episode of the Exploring Rural Health podcast featuring Holly Andrilla, Deputy Director of the WWAMI Rural Health Research Center. Focuses on rural availability of psychiatrists, psychologists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, social workers, and counselors, as well as recent developments in access to medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD).
Date: 03/2023
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Emergency Department Visits Related to Mental Health Disorders Among Adults, by Race and Hispanic Ethnicity: United States, 2018–2020
Report explores the rates of mental health-related visits to emergency departments (EDs) by race and Hispanic ethnicity. Breaks down data by race, mental health disorder, and urbanization level, among other measures.
Author(s): Zachary J. Peters, Loredana Santo, Danielle Davis, Carol J. DeFrances
Date: 03/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Urban–Rural Disparities in Deaths of Despair: A County-Level Analysis 2004–2016 in the U.S.
Presents a study exploring the rural-urban differences in drug, alcohol, and suicide mortality rates across the country from 2004 to 2016. Breaks down data by demographic factors, such as sex, employment, and health insurance, among other measures.
Author(s): Jong Hyung Lee, David C. Wheeler, Emily B. Zimmerman, et al.
Citation: American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 64(2), 149-156
Date: 02/2023
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VA Mental Health: Additional Action Needed to Assess Rural Veterans' Access to Intensive Care
Report examines the rate at which the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Intensive Mental Health Care programs were being utilized in rural areas. Highlights the difference in the utilization rate of the inpatient, residential, and outpatient mental health programs for both rural and urban veterans. Makes suggestions for how the VHA can improve these rates going forward.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 02/2023
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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A Rural Therapist and School Program Address Teen Mental Health
Provides an overview of the behavioral health needs of rural teens. Features a rural West Virginia trauma therapist, as well as a rural Wisconsin school program that incorporates teenagers' strengths and interests and connects them with trusted adults in order to improve their mental health.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 01/2023
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Filling the Gaps in the Behavioral Health Workforce
Discusses the shortage of licensed behavioral health workers in rural and underserved communities. Explores the roles of behavioral health support specialists and community-initiated care to support licensed behavioral health professionals. Offers policy recommendations to strengthen the roles of the nonclinical workforce.
Date: 01/2023
Sponsoring organization: Bipartisan Policy Center
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Mental Health in Rural New York: Findings and Implications of a Listening Tour with Residents and Professionals
Findings from the Rural Mental Health Listening Tour of New York State, conducted between March 2020 and September 2021 to elicit input and experiences of community members living and working in rural areas. Presents strengths and assets of rural communities, and highlights model programs and success stories. Includes recommendations in categories including access to transportation and broadband, access to mental health programs, availability of services, improving and sustaining workforce capacity, and offers state- and county-specific recommendations.
Author(s): Brett Harris, Katie Gallant, Abby Mariani
Date: 01/2023
Sponsoring organization: NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
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Spatial Analysis of Access to Psychiatrists for US Military Personnel and Their Families
Examines the location and capacity of psychiatrists within a 30-minute driving time of TRICARE beneficiaries. Explores how geographic access to psychiatrists affects veteran TRICARE beneficiaries in rural and low-income communities. Breaks down community data by region, rural or urban status, and economic makeup, among other measures.
Author(s): Marigee Bacolod, Jennifer Heissel, Yu-Chu Shen
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 6(1), e2249314
Date: 01/2023
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