CHI Creates New Resource for Regional Behavioral Health Data

Behavioral health is making headlines in Colorado.

The state recently received $65 million from the federal government to help increase the  integration of physical and behavioral health. Foundations are increasingly funding organizations working to improve access to mental health services. And advocacy groups are turning up the volume about the importance of good behavioral health in maintaining the well-being of the whole person.

But what do we know about the behavioral health of Coloradans at the state and regional levels?

The Colorado Health Institute has responded to this question with our newest workbook, Behavioral Health Data in Colorado. The workbook is a compilation of the latest available data on the behavioral health of adults, high school students and children in each of the state’s 21 Health Statistics Regions (HSRs).

The data are sortable by region, allowing for comparison across regions and to state averages.

For example, 8.8 percent of adults in Douglas County and in the region covered by Grand, Eagle, Summit, Pitkin and Garfield counties reported poor mental health in the past 30 days, the state's lowest rate. The highest rate is 17.8 percent in Mesa County. The state average is 12.9 percent.

Research Analyst Tamara Keeney writes about this project in a new blog posted today.