ISSUES & TRENDS: A Review of Local Data Pertaining to Community Mental Health

This blog post focuses on one of the health indicators from the CAN Community Dashboard, specifically the community indicator that assesses community mental health. Given the very challenging situation we have all encountered since the onset of the pandemic, we felt that it would be important to look at mental health from a variety of perspectives. This indicator is a self-reported measure of the mental health of the persons responding to a survey. People reporting “poor mental health” have self-reported that they have experienced five or more days of poor mental health in the last month. On days where someone is experiencing “poor mental health,” they may experience stress, depression, and/or problems with emotions. This indicator is not based on diagnoses of specific mental health conditions.

 

WHERE DO WE STAND?

In 2020, approximately 27% of adults in Travis County reported experiencing five or more days of poor mental health in the past 30 days to surveyors from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, a 3% increase over the previous year. These challenges were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic beginning in 2020.

A FOCUS ON EQUITY

Hispanic adults in Travis County were most likely to report poor mental health in 2020. An estimated 32% of Hispanic adults who were surveyed in 2020 reported experiencing five or more days of poor mental health within the past 30 days. This percentage has more than doubled since 2016. Poor mental health can include stress, depression, and emotional issues.

GENDER EQUITY

Between 2016 and 2020, a greater share of women reported experiencing five or more days of poor mental health within the past 30 days. In 2020, 33% of Travis County women reported experiencing poor mental health. The only year where a greater share of men reported poor mental health was 2019.

 

MENTAL HEALTH BY INCOME

Although low-income residents generally report higher levels of poor mental health, in 2020 low-income and middle-income residents reported the same rate of poor mental health (34%). An estimated 24% of Travis County residents with incomes greater than $75,000 reported experiencing five or more days of poor mental health within the past 30 days.

 

MENTAL HEALTH BY AGE GROUP

Most age groups saw an increase in the percentage of people who experience poor mental health days. An estimated 34.3% of Travis County residents between the ages of 30 and 44 reported 5 or more days of poor mental health in 2020. Historically, a higher percentage of residents between the ages of 18 and 29 have reported experiencing five or more days of poor mental health within the past 30 days than other age groups. In 2020, three out of four age groups saw an increase in the percentage of people who reported experiencing five or more days of poor mental health within the past 30 days. The only group that did not experience an increase in the percentage of people reporting five or more days of poor mental health within the past 30 days was Travis County residents between the ages of 18 and 29.

 

MENTAL HEALTH BY EMPLOYMENT STATUS

In 2020, 30% of unemployed Travis County residents reported experiencing five or more days of poor mental health within the past 30 days. The trend in this drilldown shows high levels of variability but has generally increased over the past 5 years.

MENTAL HEALTH BY HEALTH CARE COVERAGE

In 2020, an estimated 30% of Travis County residents without health insurance reported experiencing five or more days of poor mental health within the past 30 days, compared to an estimated 26% of Travis County residents with health insurance. Although the Mental Health Parity and Addictions Equity Act of 2008 should help make mental health treatment and support more accessible, significant barriers persist.

MENTAL HEALTH BY DISABILITY STATUS

In 2020, approximately 44% of Travis County residents who have a disability reported experiencing five or more days of poor mental health within the past 30 days, compared with approximately 23% of Travis County residents who do not report a disability. The trend in this drilldown has been relatively stable for people who report a disability, while the trend has marginally increased for folks who do not report a disability.

MENTAL HEALTH BY SEXUAL ORIENTATION

In 2020, approximately 52% of Travis County residents who identify as gay/lesbian/bisexual reported experiencing 5 or more days of poor mental health over the previous month, the highest rate for this drilldown. In contrast, 23.4% of Travis County residents who identify as straight reported experiencing 5 or more days of poor mental health over the previous month. In 2013 the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention developed questions to collect data on sexual orientation and gender identity, and in 2014 began giving states the option to add these questions to their BRFSS questionnaires. The data relating to sexual orientation only recently became available for the State of Texas.

MENTAL HEALTH BY MARITAL STATUS

In 2020, an estimated 33% of Travis County residents who are not married reported experiencing five or more days of poor mental health within the past 30 days, compared to an estimated 20% of Travis County residents who are married. The trend for this drilldown has shown a general increase over the past 5 years.

TAKEAWAYS

Overall, the rate at which Travis County residents experience 5 or more days of poor mental health within the past 30 days increased over the previous year by 3%. After taking a closer look at some of the populations that make up the Travis County population, we can see how different groups have different rates of poor mental health. This underscores the need for a variety of person-centered mental health resources designed to meet the needs of our diverse community.

CAN is currently involved in a collaborative effort called the Language Access Project for Mental Health & Wellness (LAP MHW) thru which it seeks to identify linguistically appropriate resources that can help individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP) address their mental health needs or access appropriate services. The Spanish-speakers are one of the language communities to be served through this project. Two other language communities will be selected to go through a resource development and engagement process similar to what is being done for the Spanish-speaking community.

For more information about this language access project, please contact Jelina Tunstill, CAN Program Coordinator, jtunstill@canatx.org

 

Carlos Soto, CAN Research Analyst