Behavioral Health

North Dakota faces a serious lack of behavioral health services and professionals. Stigma and privacy concerns associated with mental health issues in rural areas may mean that many people do not seek out the few services available. The Center for Rural Health works to offset behavioral health disparities by:

  • Supporting rural health facilities as they work to provide behavioral health services.
  • Addressing the lack of culturally competent behavioral health professionals in tribal communities.
  • Sharing behavioral health research, data, and best practices.
  • Utilizing relevant state, tribal, and local data to guide North Dakota’s substance abuse prevention planning, programming, and evaluation.

Key Contact

Jacque Gray, PhD - Associate Director

Most Recent Publications

  • Use of the Emergency Department for Mental Health and Substance Abuse among Women
    A study by the Rural Health Reform Research Center shows that women with mental health (MH) and substance abuse (SA) issues are putting a strain on emergency departments (EDs). This study helps identify trends among women in rural and urban communities who utilize the ED for MH/SA. The information can be used to help communities provide more relevant, appropriate, and less costly care.
    Author(s): Schroeder, S., Peterson, M., Jaeger, J.
    Date: July 2017
    Type: Fact Sheet
  • Rural and Urban Utilization of the Emergency Department for Mental Health and Substance Abuse
    Utilizes data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project’s (HCUP’s) State Emergency Department Databases (SEDD) for seven states. Researchers explore, and describe in this brief, the use of the Emergency Department for mental health and substance abuse among Urban, Large Rural, Small Rural, and Isolated Small Rural residents.
    Author(s): Schroeder, S., Peterson, M.
    Date: June 2017
    Type: Policy Brief
  • Mind Matters
    North Dakota is home to the unique annual Mind Matters Conference on brain injury that brings together both healthcare professionals and patients.
    Author(s): Massmann, N.
    Publication: North Dakota Medicine, 41(2), 20-21
    Date: July 2016
    Type: Magazine
  • Assessment of Anxiety Among Northern Plains Indians
    Article examines the reliability and validity of the Beck Anxiety Inventory by comparing scores among three different diagnostic categories.
    Author(s): Gray, J., McCullagh, J., Petros, T.
    Publication: American Journal of Orthopsychiatry
    Date: November 2015
    Type: Journal Article
  • Food Security, Depression and Quality of Life in Northern Plains Indians
    Article presents a research program designed with the objective of exploring the relationships between health disparities, high levels of poverty, and food insecurity in Native American and Alaskan Native communities.
    Author(s): Gray, J.S., Gonzaga, K., Penland, J.G., Lukaski, H., and Stensland, P.
    Publication: Journal of Indigenous Research, 4(2015), Article 3
    Date: June 2015
    Type: Journal Article
Complete List of Publications

Most Recent Presentations

Complete List of Presentations