The Mental Health Landscape

 Brice at his baptism/imago dei  

Photography by Jeffrey Louden

Last week I drove from Denver to Durango. I crossed the expansive San Luis Valley (where I lived for ten years). And from Durango I could almost see into northwest New Mexico where I lived and worked on the Navajo reservation a long time ago. There’s no doubt about it, we are surrounded by a magnificent natural landscape in the Rocky Mountain Synod. One might guess that we live in a constant state of wonder and amazement. However, when it comes to our mental health, there are some troubling patterns. In a 2007 report, Mental Health America compared depression levels and suicide rates in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The report, "Ranking the States: An Analysis of Depression Across the States" assessed the following measures:  (1) the percentage adults who experienced a major depressive episode in the past year, (2) the percentage of adolescents who experienced a major depressive episode in the past year, (3) the percentage of adults who experienced serious psychological distress, and (4) the average number of days in the past 30 days in which the population reported that their mental health was not good. The report also looked at suicide rates. Of the states in the Rocky Mountain Synod region, Texas was the 10^th healthiest state with respect to depression, Colorado ranked 34^th, New Mexico ranked 36^th, Wyoming ranked 42^nd, and Utah ranked last at 51^st. The following factors were significantly associated with better depression status and lower suicide rates: 

     Mental health resources – The more mental health professionals per capita, the lower the suicide rate.

     Barriers to treatment - The lower the percentage of the population reporting that they could not obtain healthcare because of costs, the lower the suicide rate and the better the state's depression status. The lower the percentage of the population that reported unmet mental healthcare needs, the better the state's depression status.

     Mental health treatment utilization - The higher the number of antidepressant prescriptions per capita in the state, the lower the suicide rate.

     Socioeconomic characteristics - The more educated the population and the greater the percentage with health insurance, the better the state's depression status and the lower the suicide rate.

So, what does this have to do with faith? Well, it has a lot to do with caring for the neighbor!

First of all, we can advocate for better and more mental health care. In rural Colorado, for example, some families must drive more than 100 miles to see a mental health professional. And throughout Colorado, if they receive mental health or substance use services, youth and adults of color are disproportionately served in public human services settings, including child welfare, juvenile justice, and corrections.

Second, we can challenge the traditions (myths?) of independence and self-sufficiency that are so highly valued in our western states but also contribute to isolation, stigma around mental health, and a reluctance to seek help. A person experiencing depression may feel utterly lost and alone. In our churches and communities we can help to create safe places where we talk about mental health and encourage people to seek help. We are not meant to be alone; we need each other in order to be healthy.

Aging white men have the highest rate of suicide and guns are often the means used. We must have a national conversation about guns as a public health issue. There are sensible methods to both restrict access to guns for depressed and suicidal individuals and still protect ownership rights. Could we help start these conversations in our communities?  We can also start conversations and participate in efforts to address important risk factors for depression (and other mental health problems) such as bullying, discrimination, trauma, and poverty.

Of course these issues not unique to our time and place. Just listen: 

Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress; my eye wastes away from grief, my soul and body also. For my life is spent with sorrow, and my years with sighing; my strength fails because of my misery, and my bones waste away.  

Psalm 31: 9-10

                               

            Carolyn Swenson

            Healthcare and public health professional

            Denver (Member of St. Paul Lutheran)