A survey in Montana’s most populous county shows a need for more resources around mental health, exercise and substance use.
Public health and medical centers in Yellowstone County published the Community Health Needs Assessment this month.
The community health group Healthy by Design helps facilitate a survey every three years. Amanda Zimmerman-Murter with Healthy by Design says the data and community-level responses collected in the assessment then inform a county-wide health improvement plan.
“The social drivers of health, physical activity, nutrition, weight, mental health and substance use were all ranked highly both in severity and our ability to impact [them] together,” said Zimmerman-Murter.
Results show Yellowstone County and the state exceed the national average in deaths linked to alcohol. Suicide mortality in Yellowstone County is a little below the statewide average, which is double that of the national average. And the rate of depression in the county tops both the statewide and nationwide numbers.
Zimmerman-Murter says members of the medical sector will meet over the next few months to pinpoint strategies for acting on the priorities the assessment identifies.
In the interest of full disclosure, the reporter for this coverage produced a podcast for Healthy By Design in 2020.
