Poor Mental Health

Indicator Definition 
Percent of adults (ages 18–64 years) who reported mental health difficulties such as
feelings of stress, depression or problems with emotions, for eight or more days in
the past month.

Adults who report poor mental health eight days or more during the past month in Colorado4

Adults who report poor mental health eight days or more during the past month by income in Colorado5

Indicator Significance 
One-third of all Americans report that they suffer from some mental or emotional problem for some number of days each month. Of these, 10 percent report such difficulties for 14 or more days a month. Overall, 11 percent of adults report experiencing feelings of sadness some of the time within a 30-day period. Of these emotional problems, depression is the most commonly reported. It is one of the most prevalent yet one of the most treatable emotional problems. Without treatment, symptoms can last for months or years. Since the symptoms of depression often are associated with physical illness, it frequently goes undiagnosed. Depression is more common among women, and adults living in poverty are at least twice as likely to feel sad, hopeless, worthless or that everything is an effort at least some of the time compared to individuals with higher incomes. Mental health problems can disrupt every aspect of a person’s life including work, the ability to learn and function in a family.¹

Colorado Specifics 
Fourteen percent of working-age Coloradans report eight or more days of poor mental health in the past month, placing Colorado in the middle of the ranks compared to other states. This indicator reflects the pervasiveness of mental health problems, which can detract from one’s quality of life. Poor mental health is much more prevalent among low-income adults, with close to 40 percent of the lowest income bracket reporting poor mental health.

Promising Initiatives
In Colorado
Advancing Colorado’s Mental Health Care is a collaborative effort of The Colorado Health Foundation, Caring for Colorado Foundation, The Colorado Trust and the Denver Foundation. This five-year initiative aims to improve the mental health status and quality of life for children, youth and adults with severe mental illnesses by restructuring the delivery of mental health services at the community level. Six Colorado communities were selected to receive support for their efforts at integrating mental health services.²

Elsewhere
In response to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) recommendation that adults affected by depression monitor their status with the help of friends, family, and clinicians, Families for Depression Awareness, a nonprofit based in Massachusetts, developed the “Depression and Wellness Guide.” This Guide focuses on treatment-monitoring rather than medication, which has been the focus of the FDA and other organizations in the past. The “Depression and Wellness Guide” is the first of its kind to offer a systematic approach for patients to track their progress. The guide was created by the clinical review committee and since its pilot study in 2005 it has helped more than 600 families.³ 

Adults who report poor mental health eight days or more during the past month⁶

Text

1. Health-Related Quality of Life Findings., National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
   
   Office of the Surgeon General. “Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General”; 2001.
   
   
2. Advancing Colorado’s Mental Health Care. “Six Colorado Communities Chosen for Grants”; October 11, 2005.
   
3. Families for Depression Awareness. “Depression and Wellness Guide”; November 2006.
   

Charts

4. Source: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and Colorado Health Institute analysis of Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2000–2007.
   
5. Source: Colorado Health Institute analysis of Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2007, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
   
   Data are not available for 2002 because this question was not asked in that survey year.
   
   
6. Source: Colorado Health Institute analysis of Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2007, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.