A Descriptive Study of Pathways to Behavioral Health Services for Patients Seeking Treatment in South Central Appalachia
Abstract
Introduction: Residents of rural Appalachia face numerous barriers to receiving behavioral health care, including lack of mental health providers, geographic isolation, economic marginalization, and stigmatizing cultural beliefs about mental health care. The Primary Care Behavioral Health (PCBH) model is hypothesized to increase access to services and decrease stigma by embedding behavioral health providers in primary care settings, and thereby may mitigate some of these barriers. While the typical route for connecting with PCBH services is via a same-day referral from a primary care provider (PCP), little is known about the “pathways to care” that patients traverse before getting connected with PCBH services. Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore help-seeking pathways for individuals receiving PCBH services in rural Appalachia. Method: Participants (n = 15, 93.3% White, 80.0% female) were recruited from three family medicine clinics with PCBH services in South Central Appalachia. Participants completed questionnaires regarding their mental health and perceived access to services, and engaged in semi-structured interviews about their pathway to care. Results: On average, participants waited 14 days from when they decided to seek help to when they received behavioral health care. Primary care providers (PCPs) were used most frequently as a help-seeking source (93.3%), followed by family/relatives (73.3%). The average number of sources it took for an individual to get connected with a behavioral health consultant (BHC) was two. Implications: Results from this study suggest PCPs and family/relatives are important agents for connecting individuals in Appalachia with needed behavioral health care.
Start Time
15-4-2026 3:30 PM
End Time
15-4-2026 4:30 PM
Room Number
304
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Presentation Subtype
Grad/Comp Orals
Presentation Category
Health
Student Type
Graduate
Faculty Mentor
Aubrey Dueweke
A Descriptive Study of Pathways to Behavioral Health Services for Patients Seeking Treatment in South Central Appalachia
304
Introduction: Residents of rural Appalachia face numerous barriers to receiving behavioral health care, including lack of mental health providers, geographic isolation, economic marginalization, and stigmatizing cultural beliefs about mental health care. The Primary Care Behavioral Health (PCBH) model is hypothesized to increase access to services and decrease stigma by embedding behavioral health providers in primary care settings, and thereby may mitigate some of these barriers. While the typical route for connecting with PCBH services is via a same-day referral from a primary care provider (PCP), little is known about the “pathways to care” that patients traverse before getting connected with PCBH services. Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore help-seeking pathways for individuals receiving PCBH services in rural Appalachia. Method: Participants (n = 15, 93.3% White, 80.0% female) were recruited from three family medicine clinics with PCBH services in South Central Appalachia. Participants completed questionnaires regarding their mental health and perceived access to services, and engaged in semi-structured interviews about their pathway to care. Results: On average, participants waited 14 days from when they decided to seek help to when they received behavioral health care. Primary care providers (PCPs) were used most frequently as a help-seeking source (93.3%), followed by family/relatives (73.3%). The average number of sources it took for an individual to get connected with a behavioral health consultant (BHC) was two. Implications: Results from this study suggest PCPs and family/relatives are important agents for connecting individuals in Appalachia with needed behavioral health care.
