Mental and Social Health Commons^™

Support For Me: Substance Use Disorder Prevalence And Treatment Capacity Assessment, Rachel T. Gallo Mph, Katharine Knight Mph, Mary Lindsey Smith Phd

Substance Use Research & Evaluation

The aim of this report was to understand the sociodemographic and geographic distribution of substance use disorder (SUD) prevalence in Maine, through a claims-based analysis which assessed current statewide capacity to address SUD by examining current SUD treatment and recovery infrastructure, service utilization patterns, and geographic distribution of services and usage throughout the state to identify any gaps in treatment and recovery capacity.

The authors would like to note that this report was completed during the planning phase of the SUPPORT for ME project, which was funded by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) via the SUPPORT Act …

Support For Me: Provider Focus Group Summary, Mary Lindsey Smith Phd, Katie Rosingana Ba, Evelyn Ali Bs, Tyler Egeland Ba, Karen Pearson Mlis, Ma, Mark Richards Bs

Substance Use Research & Evaluation

This summary highlights feedback from focus groups with providers across Maine who currently address the needs of persons with substance use disorder (SUD). These providers represent individuals working in the following organizations: Health Systems, Behavioral Health Agencies, Residential Treatment, Community Recovery Programs, Opioid Treatment Programs (OTP), Emergency Medical Services (EMS), First Responders (EMT, fire, police), and law enforcement (e.g., Sheriff’s Office, Corrections). This summary report is designed to provide feedback to the Office of MaineCare Services to help inform their strategic planning process to increase statewide capacity for SUD treatment and recovery service capacity to better meet the needs of …

Use Of Electronic Health Records To Manage Tobacco Screening And Treatment In Rural Primary Care, Jean A. Talbot Phd, Erica C. Ziller Phd, Carly Milkowski Mph

Mental Health / Substance Use Disorders

Researchers at the Maine Rural Health Research Center, University of Southern Maine examined whether the use of electronic health records by rural primary care physicians facilitates their use of best practices in addressing tobacco dependence. The study used the National Ambulatory Medicare Care Survey (2012-2015) to explore how rurality and use of tobacco-related electronic health record functions were related to smoking status documentation and cessation treatment at adult primary care visits. Rural-urban comparisons were also examined.

The authors conclude that rural primary care physicians were at least as successful as their urban counterparts in leveraging electronic health records to enhance …

Support For Me: Key Stakeholder Interview Summary, Katie Rosingana Ba, Mary Lindsey Smith Phd, Karen Pearson Mlis, Ma, Evelyn Ali Bs, Tyler Egeland Ba, Mark Richards Bs

Substance Use Research & Evaluation

This summary feedback report is organized to inform the Office of MaineCare Services goal of addressing barriers and finding new and/or improved ways to increase capacity in Maine for people who seek treatment and recovery services for substance use disorder. Interview protocols were designed to assess critical domains of interest for the state, which include: current and potential provider capacity, access to care & service delivery provider willingness, and financial/ administrative policies.

Key Highlights from the stakeholder interviews indicated that:

• While there have been improvements in the integration of care for persons with behavioral health (BH) diagnoses, this integration has …

Clinicians Use Of Mindfulness-Based Practices During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Leah Ridley, Samuel J. Giese, Shelby Cogan, Chelsea Hughes

Thinking Matters Symposium

Alternative mental health treatments like mindfulness hold a great deal of promise, but limited research exists on their success and application with the adolescent population. This study investigates the primary research question, “What are the experiences of clinicians providing mindfulness-based treatment to school-aged children in Maine during the COVID-19 pandemic?” This explanatory mixed methods study involves a quantitative survey of clinicians, and will be followed by a virtual focus group to further unpack the value of mindfulness-based practices when working with school-aged children. Survey data will be analyzed using descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis; focus group data will be …

Opioid Use And Harm Reduction, Elise Bourassa, David Lee, Jason Rogers, Christian Silverthorne

Thinking Matters Symposium

Calls for various harm reduction approaches to the opioid epidemic are increasing in activist communities (Chapkis, 2020; Kennedy-Hendricks et al., 2019; Sederer & Marino, 2018). Given that harm reduction approaches, if implemented, will be provided by people in various helping professions, the current study investigates the relationship between choice of human service-focused college major and level of support for harm reduction interventions for people who use opioid drugs. A quantitative survey that aims to measure knowledge and perceptions of harm reduction strategies has been disseminated to students in social work, counseling, public health and nursing departments at the University of …

Impact Of Group Prenatal Care On Health Outcomes For Women Of Color In The United States: A Systematic Literature Review, Morgan Brockington, Emily Bauer, Julie Kameisha

Thinking Matters Symposium

Women of color in the United States experience disproportionately higher rates of adverse pregnancy-related outcomes, both in the prenatal and postpartum period. Group prenatal care (GPC) has been gaining popularity in recent years and has demonstrated improved health outcomes. The aim of this systematic literature review was to examine and summarize the impact of group prenatal care on health outcomes for women of color in the United States. Using a systematic approach and PRISMA guidelines, two electronic databases—CINAHL and PubMed—were used to search the literature. Quantitative research studies that were published in peer-reviewed journals between 2010 and 2020, written in …

The Impacts Of Social Media Sites Such As Instagram And Facebook On Emerging Adult’S Perceptions Of Self-Esteem And Body Satisfaction, Wynne Cushing, Samantha Shandorf, Courtney Piccirillo, Abby Frazier

Thinking Matters Symposium

This study investigated the impacts of social media use, specifically Facebook and Instagram, on emerging adults’ perceptions of self-esteem and body satisfaction. Limited research exists regarding the influence of demographic variables, such as gender, race, and geographic location, on the relationship between social media use and negative outcome variables. The researchers utilized a cross-sectional survey design with a target population of University of Southern Maine students. Researchers hypothesize that emerging adults who spend more time on Facebook and Instagram are more likely to have lower self-esteem and body satisfaction than emerging adults who spend little to no time on Facebook …

Educator Wellbeing During Covid-19: Caregivers Vs. Non-Caregivers, Elizabeth Larsen, Judy Gagnon, Yana Davis, Nicole Hudson

Thinking Matters Symposium

The phenomenon of the COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed the format of public education, putting stress on the educational system and its teachers. This research study aims to understand the impact of COVID-19 on the role of teachers in Maine, specifically focusing on the added responsibility that parents may experience while simultaneously meeting professional obligations. Researchers posed the question: “What is the relationship between caregiving responsibilities and emotional wellbeing of teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic among public school teachers in Maine?” Participants from K-12 public schools around the state were recruited through direct contact or via building administrators who distributed …

Capacity Of Rural Counties To Address An Hiv Or Hepatitis C Outbreak, Jennifer Lenardson Mhs, Jaclyn Janis Rn, Mph, Amanda Burgess Mppm, Karen Pearson Mlis, Ma, Martha Elbaum Mpa

Population Health

HIV and hepatitis C (HCV) are major public health concerns in the United States and are a focus of significant federal health policy attention. Rural counties may be potentially vulnerable to an HIV or HCV outbreak among persons who inject drugs due to greater prevalence of high-risk injection practices as well as limited public health capacity to prevent, prepare for, and respond to an HIV or HCV outbreak. This study identified states potentially at risk for an HIV or HCV outbreak and used data from the 2016 Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) Profile Survey, 2016 National Association …

Opioid-Related Visits To Rural Emergency Departments, Erika C. Ziller Phd, Jean A. Talbot Phd, Deborah Thayer Mba, Carly Milkowski Mph

Mental Health / Substance Use Disorders

Increased rates of acute opioid poisoning and related emergency department (ED) visits in the United States have occurred at the same time as rural EDs face a number of resource constraints. Researchers at the Maine Rural Health Research Center conducted this study to gain insight about rural ED visits for acute opioid poisoning and how they compare with urban ED visits. The authors used data from the 2006 and 2013 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample to examine rural and urban opioid-related visits (ORVs) to EDs, including rate change over time, and the outcomes of these ED visits (treatment and release, inpatient …

Downeast Maine Mat Expansion Project: Year 3 Final Data Summary, Mary Lindsey Smith Phd, Evelyn Ali Bs, Katharine Knight Mph, Tyler Egeland Ba

Substance Use Research & Evaluation

This report summarizes the collaborative effort of Healthy Acadia, its providers, the Downeast Substance Treatment Network, and Downeast Substance Use Response Coalition, to combat opioid use disorder (OUD) in Downeast Maine through multiple evidence-based strategies.

Project goals included the reduction of barriers to accessing medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and the enhancement of MAT services by improving provider capacity through training and implementation of best practice treatment.

For more information, please contact M. Lindsey Smith, PhD, m.lindsey.smith@maine.edu