Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41964331›Full record

ArticleThe Journal of rural health : official journal of the American Rural Health Association and the National Rural Health Care Association2026

"Hit or Miss": Rural Veterans' Experiences Receiving Community Mental Health Care.

Patricia V Chen, Jessica Walsh, Ashley H Smith, Chase S Eck, Alexandra B Caloudas, Maribel Plasencia, Kathryn E Kanzler, Kathleen M Grubbs

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The Journal of rural health : official journal of the American Rural Health Association and the National Rural Health Care Association, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Patricia V ChenCenter for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety, Houston, Texas, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8030-8141
Jessica WalshDepartment of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5553-5462
Ashley H SmithCenter for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety, Houston, Texas, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8406-3655
Chase S EckCenter for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety, Houston, Texas, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3824-5997
Alexandra B CaloudasCenter for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety, Houston, Texas, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9695-1369
Maribel PlasenciaCenter for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety, Houston, Texas, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7172-2196
Kathryn E KanzlerCenter for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety, Houston, Texas, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7253-7067
Kathleen M GrubbsVHA Office of Rural Health, Veterans Rural Health Resource Center, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1261-8935

Funding

Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Office of Rural Health NOMAD #PROJFY 010902
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeVeteran use of Veteran Health Administration (VHA)-purchased community care (CC) for mental health has accelerated at a faster pace compared to both primary care and emergency services. Few studies have conducted an in-depth exploration of rural Veteran experience using community mental health. This paper focuses on the voices of rural Veterans, with the aim of exploring advantages and disadvantages for Veterans receiving mental health services through CC.

methodsWe conducted interviews with rural Veterans, using purposive sampling to identify Veterans through the Integrated Veteran Care Consolidated Data Sets who were enrolled in VHA medical centers in the southcentral United States, had received CC for mental health, and were living in a rural area. Interviews asked Veterans about their experience with receiving community mental health care. We used thematic analysis to organize quotes and present salient themes from interviews.

findingsWe interviewed 30 Veterans. We highlight four findings: (1) Most Veterans were pleased with the mental health care they received through the community. (2) Some Veterans reported instances of unprofessionalism and recognized a lack of military expertise among community providers. (3) Rural Veterans continue to face access barriers and noted limited availability of community mental health providers. (4) Difficulty with navigating multiple health systems impacted some rural Veterans' continuity of care.

conclusionsWhile CC has improved access to mental health care for Veterans, there are concerns related to the quality of care and continuity gaps for rural Veterans.

Indexed as

Community Mental Health ServicesRural PopulationVeteransAdultAgedFemaleHealth Services AccessibilityHumansInterviews as TopicMaleMiddle AgedQualitative ResearchUnited StatesUnited States Department of Veterans Affairscommunity caremental healthpatient experiencequalitative methodsVeterans

Identifiers

PMID41964331
PMCPMC13479325

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.