Rural Health
Research Gateway

Mental and behavioral health

Completed Projects

Listed by project completion date. You can also view these projects alphabetically.

2024

  • Rural-Urban Analysis of Persistent Health Professional Shortage Areas
    The study described rural-urban differences in persistent Health Professional Shortage Area designations for primary care, mental health, and dental care between 2010 and 2020, including those located in persistent poverty and majority minority counties.
    Research center: Rural Health Equity Research Center
    Topics: Healthcare access, Mental and behavioral health, Oral health, Workforce
  • Trends in Health Workforce Supply in the Rural U.S.
    Rural communities in the U.S. have struggled to recruit and sustain sufficient health professionals to ensure adequate access to care. This study used multiple sources of data to describe the geographic distribution (rural/urban, regional, and intra-rural) of numerous types of health professionals.
    Research center: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
    Topics: Allied health professionals, Healthcare access, Mental and behavioral health, Nurses and nurse practitioners, Oral health, Physician assistants, Physicians

2023

  • Examining the Burden of Public Stigma Associated with Mental Illness in the Rural U.S.
    This project quantitatively examined the burden of public stigma associated with mental illness in rural versus nonrural communities using a nationally representative panel-based survey. Findings inform strategies aimed at reducing stigma and improving the lives of those experiencing mental illness in rural communities.
    Research center: Rural Health Equity Research Center
    Topics: Health services, Mental and behavioral health
  • Inpatient Treatment Costs Associated with Substance Use Disorders
    The purposes of this project were to examine the costs and characteristics of inpatient stays associated with substance use disorders and to examine whether there are systematic differences in these stays and costs for persons residing in rural areas compared to urban areas.
    Research center: Rural Health Equity Research Center
    Topics: Health disparities and health equity, Healthcare access, Healthcare financing, Mental and behavioral health, Substance use and treatment
  • Rural/Urban Differences in Health and Health Care Access for LGBT Adults
    The purpose of this project was to identify rural/urban differences in health and health care access for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) adults. We also identified within-rural differences among LGBT adults by race, ethnicity, age, disability status, and socio-economic status. Finally, we identified examples of best practices supporting LGBT health and wellness in rural areas.
    Research center: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
    Topics: Aging, Cancer, Disabilities, Health disparities and health equity, Healthcare access, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ+), Mental and behavioral health, Minority health, Poverty, Rural statistics and demographics, Social determinants of health

2022

  • Longitudinal Trends in Community Mental Health Center and Federally Qualified Health Center Supply in Nonmetropolitan and Metropolitan Counties
    This study described how the supply of community mental health centers and Federally Qualified Health Centers has changed over time in nonmetropolitan and metropolitan counties nationally.
    Research center: Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
    Topics: Health disparities and health equity, Health promotion and disease prevention, Hospitals and clinics, Mental and behavioral health, Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), Substance use and treatment
  • Rural-Urban Differences in Child and Adolescent Mental Health pre and during the COVID-19 Pandemic
    This project examined rural-urban differences in the prevalence and severity of anxiety and depression among children and adolescents before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as examined rural-urban differences in access to mental health care professionals and the receipt of care from a mental health professional before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
    Research center: Rural and Minority Health Research Center
    Topics: Children and adolescents, Health disparities and health equity, Health services, Mental and behavioral health, Minority health
  • Serious Mental Illness and Access to Care Among Rural and Urban Adults
    Very little research has examined the prevalence of serious mental illness and access to mental health treatment among rural relative to urban adults in the U.S. Using nationally representative data, this project shed new light on the prevalence and correlates of serious mental illness and related access to mental health services.
    Research center: Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
    Topics: Health disparities and health equity, Healthcare access, Hospitals and clinics, Mental and behavioral health, Substance use and treatment

2021

  • A Current Examination of HIV and Hepatitis C in Rural Counties
    Using data from federal and state sources, we produced a chartbook on county-level data on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevalence and acute hepatitis C virus (HCV) incidence, examined the availability of Ryan White HIV/AIDS medical providers and other HIV and HCV treatment/testing services across the rural-urban continuum, and estimated county-level prevalence of maternal HCV infection.
    Research center: Maine Rural Health Research Center
    Topics: Maternal health, Mental and behavioral health, Substance use and treatment
  • Impact of the Opioid Crisis on Rural Emergency Departments
    This study used data from the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample and information from a panel of rural emergency care experts to assess the impact of the opioid crisis on rural emergency departments. Findings informed policies designed to help rural healthcare systems and communities address the growing problem of opioid abuse.
    Research center: Maine Rural Health Research Center
    Topics: Emergency medical services (EMS) and trauma, Mental and behavioral health, Substance use and treatment
  • The Association of Occupation with Mental Illnesses and Death by Suicide
    This study examined the association of occupational risk factors with mental illnesses, all-cause mortality, and suicide.
    Research center: Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
    Topics: Health disparities and health equity, Mental and behavioral health, Social determinants of health
  • What Is the Geographic Distribution of the Workforce with a DEA Waiver to Prescribe Buprenorphine?
    This project updated statistics on the supply of providers (physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants) with a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) waiver to prescribe buprenorphine and examine supply trends over time and also established baseline numbers of other eligible providers (e.g., midwives, clinical nurse specialists).
    Research center: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
    Topics: Health services, Healthcare access, Mental and behavioral health, Nurses and nurse practitioners, Physician assistants, Physicians, Substance use and treatment, Workforce

2020

  • Launching Data Collection on a Common Set of Measures for the EB THNP and SAT TNGP Grantees
    The primary purpose of this project is to launch data collection among Evidence-Based Tele-Behavioral Health Network Program (EB THNP) and Substance Abuse Treatment Telehealth Network Grant Program (SAT TNGP) grantees on a common set of measures.
    Research center: Rural Telehealth Research Center
    Topics: Mental and behavioral health, Telehealth
  • Mental Health Treatment Access: How Do Mental Health Treatment Use and Unmet Treatment Need Vary Among Rural and Urban Adults Nationally?
    This project will estimate the prevalence and policy-modifiable correlates of unmet mental health treatment need and utilization among metropolitan, micropolitan, and other non-metropolitan adults nationally who have a mental health condition. Additionally, the study will investigate the same issues among Native Americans/American Indians.
    Research center: Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
    Topics: American Indians and Alaska Natives, Health disparities and health equity, Health services, Mental and behavioral health
  • Rates of Telemental Health Use Among Rural Medicaid Enrollees: Associations with Telehealth Policy and Mental Health Access
    This study examined telemental health use among rural and urban Medicaid beneficiaries with mental illness. The goals were to: 1) compare rates and patterns of telemental health; 2) assess how use rates are associated with state-level Medicaid telehealth policies; and 3) determine the extent to which telemental health provides access to care.
    Research center: Rural Telehealth Research Center
    Topics: Medicaid and CHIP, Mental and behavioral health, Telehealth
  • Risky Substance Use Among Adolescents and Adults in Nonmetropolitan and Metropolitan Counties
    Little research has examined the prevalence of risky substance use (alcohol and drugs) among nonmetropolitan adolescents and adults relative to their metropolitan counterparts. Using nationally representative data, this project shed new light on the prevalence and correlates of risky substance use that could inform prevention strategies.
    Research center: Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
    Topics: American Indians and Alaska Natives, Health disparities and health equity, Health promotion and disease prevention, Mental and behavioral health, Minority health, Substance use and treatment
  • Who Provides Mental Health Services to Rural Medicare Beneficiaries?
    Most rural counties do not have a psychiatrist to care for the common conditions of depression or anxiety. This study describes the provider workforce that cares for rural elderly patients with depression/anxiety, including regional and rural-urban variations in mental healthcare provision.
    Research center: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
    Topics: Health services, Medicare, Mental and behavioral health, Nurses and nurse practitioners, Physician assistants, Physicians, Substance use and treatment, Workforce

2019

  • Establishing a Common Set of Measures for Tele-Behavioral Health and Tele-Substance Abuse
    The Rural Telehealth Research Center worked cooperatively with the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy to establish data collection protocols and tools on a set of measures that are being used for a cross-grantee evaluation of the Evidence-Based Tele-Behavioral Health Network Program.
    Research center: Rural Telehealth Research Center
    Topics: Mental and behavioral health, Telehealth
  • Predictors of Buprenorphine Prescribing by Family Physicians in Rural Areas Nationally
    This project examined how physician and practice-level characteristics are associated with family physicians prescribing buprenorphine for opioid use disorder across rural and urban areas. The study made use of a unique dataset collected among family physicians nationally in 2017.
    Research center: Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
    Topics: Health disparities and health equity, Health services, Mental and behavioral health, Pharmacy and prescription drugs, Physicians, Substance use and treatment
  • Rural and Urban Differences in Access to Psychiatric Partial Hospitalization Programs
    The project informed policymakers about the accessibility of psychiatric partial hospitalization programs, which provide moderately intensive and structured psychiatric services in outpatient settings, particularly hospital-based outpatient clinics.
    Research center: Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
    Topics: Health services, Healthcare access, Hospitals and clinics, Mental and behavioral health
  • Substance Use, Depression, and Suicide: What Are the Individual and Policy-Modifiable Correlates Amongst Metropolitan and Non-metropolitan Adults?
    We estimated the prevalence of depression and suicidal ideation and attempts amongst metropolitan and non-metropolitan adults nationally. We also investigated how demographic, social, economic, and health (including alcohol and drug abuse) as well as healthcare access factors explain depression and suicide indicators amongst residents.
    Research center: Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
    Topics: Health disparities and health equity, Health services, Mental and behavioral health, Substance use and treatment

2018

  • Identify Measures for Use with Tele-Behavioral Health
    The Rural Telehealth Research Center identified a set of measures that could be used to evaluate tele-behavioral health services.
    Research center: Rural Telehealth Research Center
    Topics: Mental and behavioral health, Telehealth
  • What Are Best Practices for Providing Buprenorphine Maintenance Treatment in Rural Primary Care?
    Not all physicians with a Drug Enforcement Agency waiver to prescribe buprenorphine actually provide this treatment or fully utilize their waiver capacity. This project interviewed physicians successfully using their waivers to identify best practices for prescribing buprenorphine treatment for Opioid Use Disorder.
    Research center: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
    Topics: Health services, Mental and behavioral health, Physicians, Substance use and treatment, Workforce

2017

  • The Supply and Distribution of the Behavioral Health Workforce in Rural America
    Data from the National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES) file, linked to RUCA codes and population data will be used to identify behavioral health providers and describe their geographic (rural/urban, regional and intra-rural) distribution. Behavioral health professions identified in the file include psychiatrists, addiction medicine specialists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists in mental health, clinical psychologists and licensed social workers.
    Research center: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
    Topics: Allied health professionals, Mental and behavioral health, Workforce
  • Who Treats Opioid Addiction in Rural America? Quantifying the Availability of Buprenorphine Services in Rural Areas
    This study will investigate the extent to which physicians who practice in rural areas and have a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) waiver to prescribe buprenorphine as an office-based outpatient treatment for opioid use disorder are providing this treatment to their patients. This study will also estimate the need for office-based opioid disorder treatment in rural locations.
    Research center: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
    Topics: Chronic diseases and conditions, Mental and behavioral health, Pharmacy and prescription drugs, Substance use and treatment

2016

  • Use of Emergency Departments for Behavioral Health Related Care
    This project will study the prevalence of emergency department utilization for behavioral health diagnoses between rural and urban communities.
    Research center: North Dakota and NORC Rural Health Reform Policy Research Center
    Topics: Emergency medical services (EMS) and trauma, Health services, Hospitals and clinics, Mental and behavioral health

2015

  • Rural Maternal Smoking Behaviors
    In this project, we will develop a chart book documenting the prevalence of mental health/substance abuse conditions and describing the utilization of mental health services in rural and urban settings.
    Research center: Maine Rural Health Research Center
    Topics: Health disparities and health equity, Mental and behavioral health, Substance use and treatment
  • Rural Mental Health First Aid Evaluation
    This project is a mixed-methods case study that focuses on the Mental Health First Aid training program, with a view toward clarifying the rural reach, feasibility, impact, and appropriateness of the program for rural communities.
    Research center: Maine Rural Health Research Center
    Topic: Mental and behavioral health

2014

  • Implications of Mental Health Comorbidity and Rural Residence for Health Care Use Patterns of Individuals with Chronic Disease
    This study will use the 2005-2010 panels of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey to compare the prevalence of concurrent mental health and chronic illnesses across rural and urban populations and to describe relationships among comorbidity, residence, and healthcare use. Findings will inform public and private decisions on how best to allocate new resources available for mental health/primary care integration efforts.
    Research center: Maine Rural Health Research Center
    Topics: Chronic diseases and conditions, Mental and behavioral health

2013

  • Patterns of Care for Rural and Urban Children with Mental Health Problems
    This study will assess whether use of office-based care and psychotropic medicine by children differs between rural and urban areas, as well as the role of insurance coverage and availability of mental health providers on use of these services.
    Research center: Maine Rural Health Research Center
    Topics: Children and adolescents, Health disparities and health equity, Mental and behavioral health
  • Rural E-Mental Health: Models That Enhance Access, Service Delivery, and Integration of Care
    E-mental health programs have been developed in rural areas as a promising approach to address the chronic challenges of low availability of mental health clinicians, long travel distances, and stigma surrounding mental health care. The literature has established the technical feasibility of these programs and interest remains strong in developing and implementing them more broadly. However, we lack a clear understanding of the viability of current rural e-mental health programs - both the business case for starting and sustaining them and the clinical case for what services and functions may be provided _ and what impact they have had. The current rural health environment is changing significantly and it is important to understand where and how e-mental health programs have been established and sustained, what impact they have had, and what value they may add to other initiatives. To address this gap we will conduct interviews with between 24-30 current rural e-mental health programs.
    Research center: Maine Rural Health Research Center
    Topics: Mental and behavioral health, Telehealth

2010

  • Access to Mental Health Services and Family Burden of Rural Children with Significant Mental Health Problems
    The needs of rural children with serious emotional disturbance and the burden these needs place on their families are intertwined and may place these rural children and their families at "double jeopardy" of having their mental health and other needs go unmet. Using the National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs and information on community characteristics from the Area Resource File we will examine the factors associated with whether children and their families have their needs meet across the rural continuum.
    Research center: Maine Rural Health Research Center
    Topics: Children and adolescents, Mental and behavioral health
  • Health Reform-Rapid Response
    This project will include several projects as requested by ORHP and DHHS as those agencies prepare for national health reform. Responses are primarily in the areas of health insurance and behavioral health.
    Research center: Maine Rural Health Research Center
    Topics: Health services, Healthcare financing, Mental and behavioral health
  • Provision of Specialty Mental Health Services by Rural Health Clinics
    This project will document the extent to which Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) are employing mental health staff nationally, understand why more RHCs are not employing specialty mental health staff, and analyze the barriers to and opportunities for the delivery of mental health services by RHCs. The results will identify opportunities and interventions to encourage RHCs to offer this important service.
    Research center: Maine Rural Health Research Center
    Topics: Health services, Mental and behavioral health, Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), Substance use and treatment

2009

  • Addressing Suicide Potential and Prevention in Rural and Frontier Areas and Development of a Suicide-Prevention Training Protocol
    Depression and suicide are especially relevant today in rural areas. This project will determine rural high-risk suicide areas, and develop a suicide prevention training protocol for primary care providers in these rural areas.
    Research center: WICHE Center for Rural Mental Health Research
    Topic: Mental and behavioral health
  • Mental Health Services in Rural Jails
    This project will investigate how rural jails manage the mental health and substance abuse problems of their inmates. Through analysis of the National Survey of Jails and semi-structured interviews with state-level and county-level/local officials, barriers to providing such services will be assessed and promising practices will be documented.
    Research center: Maine Rural Health Research Center
    Topic: Mental and behavioral health

2008

  • Assessment of the Mental Health Funding Marketplace in Rural vs. Urban Settings
    This study will use nationally representative data to assess how mental health (MH) services are paid for in rural areas and determine differences in payment sources between rural and urban areas. If payment sources significantly vary in rural vs. urban settings, then policies that are aimed specifically at sources of funding may have a differential impact on subsequent access to and utilization of care and point to the need for policies that are specifically targeted to rural communities.
    Research center: WICHE Center for Rural Mental Health Research
    Topics: Healthcare financing, Mental and behavioral health
  • Differences In Antipsychotic Medication Prescribing Patterns Between Rural And Urban Prescribers
    Second-generation antipsychotics have become the treatment of choice for persons with schizophrenia and other serious mental illnesses. Compared to first generation antipsychotics, many second generation medications reduce symptoms with fewer problematic side-effects and related major health problems. However, one aspect that has seen little empirical attention is how longitudinal trends, benefits, and costs may differ between urban and rural areas.
    Research center: WICHE Center for Rural Mental Health Research
    Topics: Diabetes, Mental and behavioral health, Pharmacy and prescription drugs
  • Differences in Prescribing Patterns of Psychotropic Medication for Children and Adolescents between Rural and Urban Prescribers
    This is an investigation of the extent to which psychotropic medication is prescribed to youth (17 and under) by primary care physicians, psychiatrists, or other prescribers in rural versus urban areas. It will also look at the particular types of medications being prescribed by age, sex, and other demographic variables.
    Research center: WICHE Center for Rural Mental Health Research
    Topics: Mental and behavioral health, Pharmacy and prescription drugs
  • Financial Impact of Mental Health Services on Rural Individuals and Families
    This project will use the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) to examine the financial burden that rural residents face in seeking mental health services, compared to urban residents. Implications of financial burden for access to needed mental health services for rural residents will be assessed.
    Research center: Maine Rural Health Research Center
    Topics: Healthcare financing, Mental and behavioral health, Private health insurance
  • Impact of Mental and Emotional Stress on Rural Employment Patterns
    This study will use the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth to investigate how mental health symptoms affect employment patterns, and the extent to which these effects differ by rural and urban residence.
    Research center: Maine Rural Health Research Center
    Topic: Mental and behavioral health
  • Rural-Urban Differences in Access to Children's Mental Health Services
    This study uses data from the Urban Institute's National Survey of America's Families to examine and compare the use of mental health services by rural and urban children, age 6 to 17, relative to their need for mental health care, family income, and insurance status.
    Research center: Maine Rural Health Research Center
    Topics: Children and adolescents, Health services, Mental and behavioral health
  • Rural-Urban Differences In The Use, Type, And Quality Of Depression Treatment
    As access to evidence-based treatment for affective disorders (major depressive disorder, dysthymia, and bipolar disorder) improves in urban areas, it is critical to monitor rural-urban differences in the use and quality of treatment over time to identify and address rural disparities, especially for vulnerable populations such as the elderly and ethnic minorities.
    Research center: WICHE Center for Rural Mental Health Research
    Topics: Aging, Health disparities and health equity, Mental and behavioral health, Minority health

2007

  • Role of Inpatient Psychiatric Units in Small Rural Hospitals and Rural Mental Health Systems
    This is a descriptive, exploratory study which will investigate the role of the small rural hospital Inpatient Psychiatric Units from the perspectives of both the rural hospital, in terms of scope of services and revenue enhancement, and the regional mental health system, meeting the needs of outpatient mental health and primary care providers, law enforcement, and human services.
    Research center: Maine Rural Health Research Center
    Topics: Health services, Hospitals and clinics, Mental and behavioral health
  • Webcast: What Rural Primary Care Physicians Need to Know about Treating Patients with Mental Health Diagnoses
    Training via distance learning technology that promotes collaborative care models in primary care is consistent with federal and state policy recommendations.
    Research center: WICHE Center for Rural Mental Health Research
    Topics: Frontier health, Mental and behavioral health, Physicians

2006

  • Distance Learning in Depression for Rural Primary Care Providers
    This project will develop effective distance learning methods to train rural primary care providers (PCPs) in integrated care models for depression using computer based training as an approach to improving mental health outcomes in rural areas.
    Research center: WICHE Center for Rural Mental Health Research
    Topic: Mental and behavioral health
  • Identifying At-Risk Rural Areas for Targeting Enhanced Schizophrenia Treatment
    The goal of this project is to identify rural areas that should be targeted for early adoption of evidence-based schizophrenia treatment. This project proposes a scientifically-based method to identify counties in greatest need for quality improvement to inform national, regional, and local decision-makers about distributing scarce resources to areas which would most benefit from improved schizophrenia treatment.
    Research center: WICHE Center for Rural Mental Health Research
    Topic: Mental and behavioral health
  • Identifying Stakeholders to Pay for Enhanced Depression Treatment in Rural Populations
    The goal of this project is to identify stakeholders who economically benefit when rural patients receive enhanced depression treatment, which will, in turn, encourage health plans to provide enhanced depression treatment to their rural enrollees without raising premiums.
    Research center: WICHE Center for Rural Mental Health Research
    Topics: Healthcare financing, Mental and behavioral health

2005

  • Community-Level Risk Factors for Depression Hospitalizations
    In this exploratory analysis, we examined the association between depression hospitalization rates and community-level socio-demographic, economic, and health care system characteristics.
    Research center: WICHE Center for Rural Mental Health Research
    Topic: Mental and behavioral health
  • Depression and Generalized Anxiety Disorder across Rural Populations
    Research center: Rural and Minority Health Research Center
    Topics: Health disparities and health equity, Mental and behavioral health, Minority health
  • Differential Effectiveness of Enhanced Depression Treatment for Rural and Urban Primary Care Patients
    This project will explore whether rural populations achieve outcomes with depression treatment quality intervention comparable to their urban counterparts, and whether any outcome differences are explained by treatment mediators (e.g., evidence-based care) or psychosocial mediators (e.g., stressful life events and social support). Findings from this study can be used to refine interventions before they are disseminated to rural delivery systems.
    Research center: WICHE Center for Rural Mental Health Research
    Topic: Mental and behavioral health
  • Identifying At-Risk Rural Areas for Targeting Enhanced Depression Treatment
    This project will identify characteristics of rural areas that are associated with increased risk of depression-related hospitalizations, and will identify high risk rural areas within the U.S. that should be targeted for early adoption of enhanced depression treatment models based on patient need.
    Research center: WICHE Center for Rural Mental Health Research
    Topic: Mental and behavioral health
  • Impact of Bioterrorism on Rural Mental Health Needs
    This project aims to assess and improve the preparedness of rural primary care professionals to care for mental health conditions in the wake of bioterrorism and infectious disease outbreaks.
    Research center: FORHP-funded Individual Grantees
    Topics: Emergency preparedness and response, Mental and behavioral health
  • Informing Primary Care Depression Intervention: A Comparison of Hospitalization Rates in Depressed Rural and Urban Patients
    The goal in this research was to examine whether or not there is a differential impact of enhanced depression care on patient outcomes in rural versus urban primary care settings and whether differences are mediated by receiving evidence-based care (pharmacotherapy and specialty care counseling).
    Research center: WICHE Center for Rural Mental Health Research
    Topics: Mental and behavioral health, Physicians
  • Mental Health Encounters in Critical Access Hospital Emergency Rooms: A National Survey
    This project will survey Emergency Room (ER) managers in a nationally representative sample of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) to determine the proportion of ER encounters involving mental health pathology, types of mental health problems most commonly seen in these encounters, and resources available to CAHs to address the problems encountered.
    Research center: Maine Rural Health Research Center
    Topics: Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), Emergency medical services (EMS) and trauma, Mental and behavioral health
  • Mental Health Risk Factors, Unmet Needs and Provider Availability for Rural Children
    The study will examine the prevalence of subclinical problems in rural children, assess risk factors associated with problems in children, and assess the influence of local provider availability on healthcare provider contact.
    Research center: Rural and Minority Health Research Center
    Topics: Children and adolescents, Health services, Mental and behavioral health
  • Mental Health Services: The Effect of Variations in State Policies
    This study will identify variations in state licensure and payment or coverage polices and examine the effect of these variations on the availability of mental health services in rural areas.
    Research center: Southwest Rural Health Research Center
    Topics: Health services, Mental and behavioral health
  • Preventing Hospitalization in Depressed Rural Patients
    This project will explore whether depressed rural patients are more likely than their urban counterparts to be hospitalized for depression and other health reasons over the course of two years; explore whether any current rural-urban hospitalization differences are reduced in models which control for previous intensive outpatient specialty care utilization; and explore rural-urban differences in the prevalence and consequences of administrative constraints on intensive outpatient specialty care use.
    Research center: WICHE Center for Rural Mental Health Research
    Topic: Mental and behavioral health

2004

  • Teen Violence
    This study will use national data to assess the prevalence of violence among rural youth, define risk factors for violence exposure among rural youth, and assess the current ability of rural school systems to provide appropriate mental health care and/or referrals for youth exposed to violence.
    Research center: Rural and Minority Health Research Center
    Topics: Children and adolescents, Mental and behavioral health, Violence and abuse

2003

2002

2001

2000