More than 66% of survey respondents in San Juan County said that mental health was a major problem. (Adobe stock image)
More than 66% of survey respondents in San Juan County said that mental health was a major problem. (Adobe stock image)

In the past decade, poor mental health in San Juan County has significantly increased, according to a survey provided by the 2023 Professional Research Consultants Community Health report.

In 2014, 13.8% of respondents experienced poor or fair mental health. The most recent data of 2023 shows that 25.9% or respondents struggle with mental health, an increase of 87.6812%. Of those respondents, 4.7% reported that they experienced poor mental health, and 21.2% experienced fair mental health.

San Juan County’s mental health status exceeds the national rate by 1.5%.

Poor-health rates in San Juan County in the past 15 years (Courtesy Professional Research Consultants)
Poor-health rates in San Juan County in the past 15 years (Courtesy Professional Research Consultants)

The fact sheet provided by National Alliance on Mental Illness, an organization that examines mental health and its impact nationwide, states that 1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year. About 300,000 adults in New Mexico have a mental health condition, more than three times the population of Santa Fe.

Some mental health conditions were affected by various factors.

In 2021, COVID-19 was the most common root of negative mental health states. Those who suffered with anxiety or depression were unable to seek counseling or therapy.
NAMI also states that 1 in 4 people with severe mental illness has been arrested, and 2 and 5 adults in jail or prison have a history of mental illness. Furthermore, 7 in 10 adolescents in the juvenile justice system have a mental health condition.
Other factors of serious mental illness originate because large numbers of high school students did not receive proper care or could not because of the cost of treatment.

Many communities in New Mexico do not have enough mental health professionals, making available treatment for mental health is less affordable.

San Juan County residents were asked in the Professional Research Consultants Community Health survey how they perceived the severity of mental health. More than half, 66.7%, say it is a major problem, and 27.5% say it is a moderate problem. Only 4.3% say it is a minor problem, and 1.4% do not think it is an issue.

Of the 37 who commented on the issue, 30 said they believed the problem is caused by access to care and services or lack of providers.

“We are lacking mental health services and providers. All outside counseling services have wait lists, and I feel we are failing our community,” a health provider responded. “The community has done a great job of having the ARU instead of sending people to jail, but I feel like we just need more.”

“There is such a lack of mental health providers in our community that individuals generally must wait for months to be seen by even a counselor for the first time,” a business leader said. “Obtaining in-person appointments with doctors and psychiatrists with the expertise to prescribe and modify medication regimens for behavioral conditions is even more difficult.”

“Often there is a wait list to get into psychiatry or counseling, or an (intensive outpatient) program,” said Tammy Cagle, a licensed clinical social worker at San Juan Medical Center Behavioral Health Unit. “For example, I have someone on unit with a substance-use disorder and needs an IOP. I call the agency and they have an opening but they needed an assessment and they can’t get them in until mid-January. And for someone who has substance-use issues, that is high risk and can’t wait that long.”

Cagle says that this is a reoccurring problem with patients and it would easier for intensive outpatient to use Behavioral Health provided assessments instead of waiting for them to do their own. “It would get them into treatment a lot quicker that way.”