Anush Yousefian, MPHS

Phone: 207.228.8217
E-mail: ayousefian@usm.maine.edu

Completed Projects (1)

Mental Health Services in Rural Jails
Research center: Maine Rural Health Research Center
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topic: Mental health
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.

Publications (7)

Access to Mental Health Services and Family Impact of Rural Children with Mental Health Problems
Author(s): Jennifer D. Lenardson, Erika C. Ziller, David Lambert, Melanie M. Race, Anush Yousefian
Research center: Maine Rural Health Research Center
Topics: Children, Mental health
Report Number: #45
Date: 10 / 2010
Mental health problems have considerable impact on children and their families and some of these impacts are higher in rural than urban areas. Rural children are slightly but significantly more likely to have a mental health problem than urban children, are more likely to have a behavioral difficulty, and are more likely to be usually or always affected by their condition. Compared to urban children, rural children are more likely to go without access to all parent-reported needed mental health services and their families spend more time coordinating their care.
Mental Health Problems Have Considerable Impact on Rural Children and their Families (Policy Brief)
Author(s): Jennifer D. Lenardson, Erika C. Ziller, David Lambert, Melanie M. Race, Anush Yousefian
Research center: Maine Rural Health Research Center
Topics: Children, Mental health
Date: 10 / 2010
Mental health problems have considerable impact on children and their families and some of these impacts are higher in rural than urban areas. Rural children are slightly but significantly more likely to have a mental health problem than urban children, are more likely to have a behavioral difficulty, and are more likely to be usually or always affected by their condition. Compared to urban children, rural children are more likely to go without access to all parent-reported needed mental health services and their families spend more time coordinating their care. This policy brief provides information on prevalence of children's mental health needs and associated access to care and family impact across rural and urban areas. Analyses are based on the 2005-06 National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs.
Mental Health Services in Rural Jails (Policy Brief)
Author(s): Melanie Race, Anush Yousefian, David Lambert, David Hartley
Research center: Maine Rural Health Research Center
Topic: Mental health
Date: 09 / 2009
The prevalence of mental illness among prison and jail inmates has attracted increasing attention in both mental health and criminal justice circles.
Mental Health Services in Rural Jails (Working Paper)
Author(s): Melanie M. Race, Anush Yousefian, David Lambert, David Hartley
Research center: Maine Rural Health Research Center
Topic: Mental health
Report Number: Working Paper #42
Date: 08 / 2010
Using a qualitative approach, this study explored the role of rural jails in the mental health systems in rural communities, investigating how rural jails manage mental health and substance abuse problems among inmates, determining barriers to providing mental health services faced by rural jails, and identifying promising practices for service delivery. Rural jail administrators and mental health providers understood the need for mental health services for jail inmates but were constrained by inadequate community mental health resources, lack of coordination with community mental health providers, and infrastructure challenges including facilities, transportation, training, and legal processes. Promising practices include short-term hold policies, separation of inmates with mental health concerns, and regular communication among stakeholders.
Out-of-Pocket Health Care Spending and the Rural Underinsured
Author(s): Erika Ziller, Andrew Coburn, Anush Yousefian
Research center: Maine Rural Health Research Center
Topic: Health insurance and the uninsured
Report Number: Working Paper No. 33
Date: 12 / 2005
Reports the results of a study to identify whether and to what extent there are rural-urban differences in underinsured rates among the privately insured, and, where differences exist, to understand what characteristics of rural residents are related to their likelihood of being underinsured. Using the 2001 and 2001 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), the authors examined the annual out-of-pocket health care expenditures for U.S.residents under age 65 that were continuously insured by a private plan in either 2001 or 2002. Findings showed that, despite having private health insurance coverage, those who use medical services continue to pay for a substantial portion of their own health care costs, particularly those living in rural areas. The average rural non-adjacent individual paid for 39% of their care in 2001 or 2002, compared to 35% for rural adjacent and 32% for urban individuals. Additional findings showed that one out of eight non-adjacent residents is underinsured (12.4%), compared to 10% of rural adjacent and 7% of urban residents.
Out-Of-Pocket Health Spending And The Rural Underinsured
Author(s): Erika C. Ziller, Andrew F. Coburn, Anush E. Yousefian
Research center: Maine Rural Health Research Center
Topics: Health insurance and the uninsured, Rural statistics and demographics
Citation: Health Affairs, 25(6), 1688-1699
Date: 2006
Estimates underinsurance rates among privately insured rural residents and the characteristics associated with rural underinsurance.
Use of Critical Access Hospital Emergency Rooms by Patients With Mental Health Symptoms
Author(s): David Hartley, Erika C. Ziller, Stephenie L. Loux, John A. Gale, David Lambert, Anush E. Yousefian
Research center: Maine Rural Health Research Center
Topics: Critical Access Hospitals and Rural Hospital Flexibility Program, Emergency medical services (EMS), Mental health
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 23(2), 108-115
Date: 2007
Describes the results of a study investigating the use of critical access hospital (CAH) emergency rooms by patients with mental health problems to understand the role these facilities play in rural mental health needs and the challenges they face.

Topics Centers Researchers Other Resources Search		Anush Yousefian, MPHS Maine Rural Health Research Center Phone: 207.228.8217 E-mail: ayousefian@usm.maine.edu Completed Projects (1) Mental Health Services in Rural Jails Research center: Maine Rural Health Research Center Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) Topic: Mental health 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. Publications (7) Access to Mental Health Services and Family Impact of Rural Children with Mental Health Problems Author(s): Jennifer D. Lenardson, Erika C. Ziller, David Lambert, Melanie M. Race, Anush Yousefian Research center: Maine Rural Health Research Center Topics: Children, Mental health Report Number: #45 Date: 10 / 2010 Mental health problems have considerable impact on children and their families and some of these impacts are higher in rural than urban areas. Rural children are slightly but significantly more likely to have a mental health problem than urban children, are more likely to have a behavioral difficulty, and are more likely to be usually or always affected by their condition. Compared to urban children, rural children are more likely to go without access to all parent-reported needed mental health services and their families spend more time coordinating their care. Mental Health Problems Have Considerable Impact on Rural Children and their Families (Policy Brief) Author(s): Jennifer D. Lenardson, Erika C. Ziller, David Lambert, Melanie M. Race, Anush Yousefian Research center: Maine Rural Health Research Center Topics: Children, Mental health Date: 10 / 2010 Mental health problems have considerable impact on children and their families and some of these impacts are higher in rural than urban areas. Rural children are slightly but significantly more likely to have a mental health problem than urban children, are more likely to have a behavioral difficulty, and are more likely to be usually or always affected by their condition. Compared to urban children, rural children are more likely to go without access to all parent-reported needed mental health services and their families spend more time coordinating their care. This policy brief provides information on prevalence of children's mental health needs and associated access to care and family impact across rural and urban areas. Analyses are based on the 2005-06 National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs. Mental Health Services in Rural Jails (Policy Brief) Author(s): Melanie Race, Anush Yousefian, David Lambert, David Hartley Research center: Maine Rural Health Research Center Topic: Mental health Date: 09 / 2009 The prevalence of mental illness among prison and jail inmates has attracted increasing attention in both mental health and criminal justice circles. Mental Health Services in Rural Jails (Working Paper) Author(s): Melanie M. Race, Anush Yousefian, David Lambert, David Hartley Research center: Maine Rural Health Research Center Topic: Mental health Report Number: Working Paper #42 Date: 08 / 2010 Using a qualitative approach, this study explored the role of rural jails in the mental health systems in rural communities, investigating how rural jails manage mental health and substance abuse problems among inmates, determining barriers to providing mental health services faced by rural jails, and identifying promising practices for service delivery. Rural jail administrators and mental health providers understood the need for mental health services for jail inmates but were constrained by inadequate community mental health resources, lack of coordination with community mental health providers, and infrastructure challenges including facilities, transportation, training, and legal processes. Promising practices include short-term hold policies, separation of inmates with mental health concerns, and regular communication among stakeholders. Out-of-Pocket Health Care Spending and the Rural Underinsured Author(s): Erika Ziller, Andrew Coburn, Anush Yousefian Research center: Maine Rural Health Research Center Topic: Health insurance and the uninsured Report Number: Working Paper No. 33 Date: 12 / 2005 Reports the results of a study to identify whether and to what extent there are rural-urban differences in underinsured rates among the privately insured, and, where differences exist, to understand what characteristics of rural residents are related to their likelihood of being underinsured. Using the 2001 and 2001 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), the authors examined the annual out-of-pocket health care expenditures for U.S.residents under age 65 that were continuously insured by a private plan in either 2001 or 2002. Findings showed that, despite having private health insurance coverage, those who use medical services continue to pay for a substantial portion of their own health care costs, particularly those living in rural areas. The average rural non-adjacent individual paid for 39% of their care in 2001 or 2002, compared to 35% for rural adjacent and 32% for urban individuals. Additional findings showed that one out of eight non-adjacent residents is underinsured (12.4%), compared to 10% of rural adjacent and 7% of urban residents. Out-Of-Pocket Health Spending And The Rural Underinsured Author(s): Erika C. Ziller, Andrew F. Coburn, Anush E. Yousefian Research center: Maine Rural Health Research Center Topics: Health insurance and the uninsured, Rural statistics and demographics Citation: Health Affairs, 25(6), 1688-1699 Date: 2006 Estimates underinsurance rates among privately insured rural residents and the characteristics associated with rural underinsurance. Use of Critical Access Hospital Emergency Rooms by Patients With Mental Health Symptoms Author(s): David Hartley, Erika C. Ziller, Stephenie L. Loux, John A. Gale, David Lambert, Anush E. Yousefian Research center: Maine Rural Health Research Center Topics: Critical Access Hospitals and Rural Hospital Flexibility Program, Emergency medical services (EMS), Mental health Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 23(2), 108-115 Date: 2007 Describes the results of a study investigating the use of critical access hospital (CAH) emergency rooms by patients with mental health problems to understand the role these facilities play in rural mental health needs and the challenges they face.