Barriers to Opioid Use Disorder treatment associated with Behavioral Health in Primary Care

ABSTRACT Purpose: This article aims to review opioid use disorder associated with behavioral health barriers in rural primary care. Method: PubMed, Google Scholar, and MEDLINE were accessed for a literature search conducted with search terms Behavioral Health, Rural Health, Opioid Use Disorder. Additionally, information was gathered from CDC, US Census, HHS, Project Hope, and the USDA. Relevant articles were retrieved and served as the basis for this review. Results: The association between mental health and OUD is regularly cataloged, as are the difficulties associated with chronic disease management in rural primary care. However, obstacles associated with the treatment of OUD in combination with behavioral health in rural settings are not prominently addressed Conclusion: There are many obstacles when treating Opioid Use Disorder, particularly in rural settings. There is an overall lack of resources, increased stigma, and decreased personnel in rural are associated with the increased complexity of treating chronic diseases- OUD and psychological disorders—in rural areas. As a result, it is necessary to identify the barriers to chronic disease management, behavioral health care, and opioid use disorder in rural clinics to treat this patient population effectively. Characterizing these barriers is a primary step toward addressing the treatment constraints of this population