Rural Residents With Mental Health Needs Have Fewer Care Visits Than Urban Counterparts

Kirby, James B.; Zuvekas, Samuel H.; Borsky, Amanda; Ngo‐Metzger, Quyen

doi:10.1377/hlthaff.2019.00369

Cited by 40 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…Further, we found that Extension agents are confident in their skills following MHFA training, and all of those who encountered a crisis were able to use the skills to assess for suicide and self‐harm risk. This is a notable finding, as having these agents actively involved as gatekeepers may greatly enhance the identification, assessment, and referral of those at risk in rural communities (Kirby et al, 2019).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Rural communities, which are prevalent across Mississippi, are often particularly affected by suicide. In addition to having higher suicide rates on average (Hirsch, 2006), there are fewer mental health providers, which results in fewer mental health care visits than those who live in urban areas (Kirby et al, 2019). In fact, data from the American Psychological Association suggest that Mississippi has the fewest psychologists per capita of any state, 11.9 per 100,000, which is roughly one‐third of the national average.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Mental health first aid training for Extension agents in rural communities

Robertson

DeShong

Steen

et al. 2021

Suicide & Life Threat Behav

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Objective The goal of the current study is to evaluate the effectiveness of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) in broadening the network of gatekeepers in rural communities. Method Extension agents in Mississippi who completed MHFA training were recruited via email to participate in a 22‐item, web‐based, quantitative and qualitative, six‐month follow‐up survey that measured demographic characteristics, which MHFA skills agents used post‐training, barriers to skill use, and confidence in ability to use those skills (n = 80). Results Over 60% of the agents reported using the skills learned from the MHFA training, and nearly 15% of agents reported having an encounter with someone in crisis since completing the MHFA training. Agent participants reported using the skills learned from the training with farmers, 4‐H youth, volunteers, and parents, family members, colleagues, and friends. One agent commented that the training, “has been very helpful in speaking with various people and has increased confidence when encountering someone with mental health challenges.” Conclusion MHFA trainings appear to increase the confidence and competence of Extension agents as community gatekeepers and may greatly enhance the reach of the mental health network of rural areas by increasing identification and referral of those requiring mental health services.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mental health first aid training for Extension agents in rural communities

Robertson

DeShong

Steen

et al. 2021

Suicide & Life Threat Behav

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“…Recent research regarding openness to using telehealth similarly found that older adults are less willing. 4 However, as rural residents may be less likely to access mental health services overall, 5 older adults in this sample indicating unwillingness to use and high discomfort with telehealth for emotional needs deserves further study. Indeed, a recent study found that rural residents were more interested in telehealth for mental health than their urban counterparts; however, younger residents and those with greatest existing access to mental health care were most interested.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

Openness to Use of Telehealth During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Sample of Rural Older Adults in a Federally Qualified Health Center

Howren

Castagna

Katz

2021

Journal of the American Medical Directors Association

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To the EditorThe COVID-19 pandemic has facilitated increased use of telehealth for primary and specialty care encounters, and recently there have been calls to expand its use in post-acute and long-term care settings. 1,2 Telehealth expansion is particularly important for rural and underserved populations as it represents a medium to increase access and reduce disparities in health care delivery. 3 However, despite the increase in availability, relatively little is known about whether rural older adults are open to using telehealth. Methods SampleParticipants were adults aged 65 years from one clinic affiliated with a network of rural southeastern federally qualified health centers. These clinics serve more than 22,000 primarily rural patients, of which approximately 3000 are aged 65 years. Approximately 38% of patients are racial or ethnic minorities: 27% are black and 11% Hispanic/Latino. As part of a larger quality improvement (QI) initiative, older adults who were active patients (n ¼ 357) were contacted for participation in a brief survey. Sixty-five (18.2%) completed the survey (50 by e-mail, 15 by mail). Because this project was deemed QI, institutional review board approval was not required.

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“…Participants' non-prescribed use of substances to cope with mental health symptoms is also an indication of barriers to accessing mental health services among PWID. Even though Rhode Island and Massachusetts have one of the highest ratios of provider per population in the U.S. (Young, Chaudhry, Pei, Arnhart, Dugan, & Snyder, 2017), there is a significant shortage and underutilization of specialized and mental health services outside of the major metropolitan areas in these states (Kirby, Zuvekas, Borsky, & Ngo-Metzger 2019;Patel, Huskamp, Busch, & Mehrotra, A. 2020).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%