Research Community Students Mental Health Epidemiology Firearm Injury Prevention Infectious disease Community and Practice Student and Alumni Cannabis Environment Gun Violence Prevention Injury & Violence Prevention Maternal & Child Health Worker Health
In 2023, some of the nation’s top public health researchers at the Colorado School of Public Health tackled a variety of the largest public health questions facing us today.
Mental Health Suicide Prevention
In preparing this newsletter, I was struck by the broad array of initiatives led by our faculty to address community mental health needs. I was also reminded of the complex challenges our state faces.
Mental Health Environment Worker Health
Katherine A. James, PhD, MSPH, MSCE, traditionally focuses her research on environmental exposures and epidemiology while holding long-standing community partners in the San Luis Valley (SLV). While doing a preliminary assessment for environmental health hazards for the agriculture workforce in Southern Colorado, her community partners sounded an alarm for a behavioral health crisis in the Ag community. James quickly redirected her attention to these health disparities.
Community COVID-19 Mental Health Scholarship Awards Community and Practice
In the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic, Colorado School of Public Health (ColoradoSPH) faculty, staff, students, and alumni helped shape the conversation. And while the pandemic occupied much of our focus as a nation and a global community, our research and community engagement continued in other important areas of public health as well.
Mental Health Suicide Prevention Environment Worker Health
There is a mental health epidemic going on in the construction industry. People working in construction are nearly 3.5 times more likely to die by suicide than the general population. Among working-age men, construction workers account for nearly 20% of all suicide deaths. As of 2020, construction workers were five times more likely to die from suicide than from a workplace injury or accident.
Community Mental Health Addiction Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Environment Worker Health
The Center for Health, Work & Environment (CHWE) at the Colorado School of Public Health (ColoradoSPH) is responding to the national mental health crisis and substance use epidemic that has only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This emergency requires a strong joint effort between public health organizations and employers.
Students Mental Health Student and Alumni ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Suicide Prevention Community Health Maternal & Child Health
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates that half of the nation’s adolescents have experienced a mental health disorder, such as depression, anxiety, or attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) at some time in their lives. Many young people receive treatment to prevent these and other issues from worsening and becoming chronic, but many others do not, leading to problems that persist into adulthood and have serious consequences, both for the individuals and for society.
Mental Health Community Health
Charlotte Farewell, PhD, MPH, and Jini Puma, PhD, are one of six research teams awarded a 5-year grant from the Administration for Children and Families for the "Wellbeing of the ECE workforce working in Low-resources Locations (WELL)" study. The goal of the study is to investigate factors associated with worker wellbeing in Head Start settings and then implement and assess the multi-level, multi-strategy intervention (WELL) via partnerships with five large urban and rural Head Start agencies in Colorado. Collectively, the six research teams will create the Head Start-University Research Collaborative to establish evidence related to worker wellbeing in the early childhood education workforce.
Mental Health Workforce Development Environment Worker Health
The pandemic has made public knowledge of something those of us in occupational safety and health have known for quite some time: employee mental health matters. It also cannot be improved without great attention and effort. A workplace culture that promotes mental health awareness demands both organizational support and individual commitment.
The PMHW program will have its first cohort of fully online students starting in the Fall. These students represent many areas of the country and many different backgrounds. They will be completing their MPH degrees completely online. This new format offers increased flexibility and availability to students who work full-time or who are unable to relocate in order to complete a degree program. We are looking forward to welcoming these students into the PMHW family.
Community COVID-19 Mental Health Infectious disease Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Worker Health
The Center for Health, Work & Environment (CHWE) at the Colorado School of Public Health has partnered with the University of Colorado Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Depression Center to develop and launch the Workplace Mental Health Module, an online toolkit designed for employers wanting to raise awareness and improve the mental health of their employees.
COVID-19 has significantly impacted workers and the business community. Employees and business owners have experienced tremendous stress due to shutdowns, school closures, financial losses and family illness. Almost half of Americans are suffering from mental health issues due to the pandemic.
I “digitally” sat down with Alexa Hansen, our first PMHW graduate and our featured student for this quarter’s newsletter. Here’s a bit of what she had to say.
Research Mental Health ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Worker Health
The early childhood education workforce has a significant impact on the development of language, motor, cognitive, and social-emotional skills in young children. The ability of these workers to foster this development in the children under their care is influenced by their own physical and mental health. The well-being of this workforce is often overlooked when considering the quality of the care that children receive. Early childhood education is an occupation with many stressors, including low wages, long hours, high job demands, increased risk of exposure to infectious diseases and environmental hazards such as cleaning supplies. These work conditions contribute to the disproportionately high mental and physical conditions experienced by the early education workforce, where high turnover rates are also seen. Those who work at Head Start programs, which provide free care to low-income families, have been shown to be particularly vulnerable to these demands.
Mental Health AI/AN health Maternal & Child Health
Dr. Nancy Whitesell is one of the affiliated faculty members for PMHW. She sat down with us to share more about her work and the communities that she works with. Here's what she had to say.
Research Mental Health Epidemiology ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Suicide Prevention Injury & Violence Prevention
Suicides are the second leading cause of death among 15-44-year-olds and the tenth overall leading cause of death in the United States. Suicide prevention efforts include consideration of whether an at-risk individual has access to lethal means and whether an individual has any psychiatric disorder such as mood disorders, personality disorders, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, or substance abuse disorders. A psychiatric disorder diagnosis is a known risk for factor for suicide. Previous studies that examined specific means of suicide focused on demographic factors such as gender, race, urban/rural designation, age, or health status, and whether those factors are associated with specific lethal means. A recent study from the Colorado School of Public Health examined whether the choice of means by which a person dies by suicide is associated with specific psychiatric diagnoses.
Students Mental Health Graduation Suicide Prevention
I virtually sat down with Alexa Hansen to talk about her experiences at the Colorado School of Public Health and her plans for the future. Here's what she had to say.
COVID-19 Mental Health Infectious disease ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Environment Worker Health
During the month of May when the pandemic was starting to take hold, researchers from the Center for Health, Work & Environment (CHWE) at the Colorado School of Public Health (ColoradoSPH) performed a study to better understand the impact of COVID-19 on the well-being of workers in Colorado. The team evaluated changes to employees’ work and home life resulting from COVID-19 and individual perceptions of workplace safety and health climates. These climates reflect employee perceptions of how committed their employer is to their safety and health. They are commonly used as an indicator of organizational safety and health cultures.
This program is ideal for public health professionals seeking to expand their expertise to mental health and wellbeing promotion, service providers seeking a population-level perspective, and those looking to launch a meaningful career in this exciting new field.
COVID-19 Mental Health Epidemiology Infectious disease ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz ColoradoSPH at CSU ColoradoSPH at UNC Data and Health AI/AN health Biostatistics Health Advocacy Maternal & Child Health Latino Health
Wearing a mask or face covering in the US has become about more than just slowing the spread of COVID-19 — some experts say it's a political statement, signalling another layer in the deep divisions within America.
Students Mental Health Infectious disease Student and Alumni ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Community Health
A DrPH candidate at the Colorado School of Public Health (CSPH), Community and Behavioral Health Program, Jennifer Jewell works full-time and raises two children. She understands the need to adapt. After a seven-year break from academia, Jewell returned to school full-time to pursue her passion—psychiatric epidemiology—a field that did not exist when she completed her master’s degree in 2013.
For never considering myself a green thumb, I surround myself with a jungle of plant children. My plants give me the overwhelming sense that I am connected to nature still within my apartment walls. And now, as we try to manage our mental health at home, in small ways my plants are helping me get through this uncertain time.
Community COVID-19 Mental Health Epidemiology Firearm Injury Prevention Infectious disease Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Suicide Prevention Gun Violence Prevention Injury & Violence Prevention
I live and work in Colorado, a beautiful state that can look to an outsider like a year-round playground of sunshine and skiing. But my state has a big problem: suicide rates that are among the highest in the country.
Research Mental Health Suicide Prevention Environment Worker Health
Mental health is at the front and center as our world faces the coronavirus pandemic. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, an estimated 9.6 million American adults suffer from a serious mental illness —that is 1 in 5 adults. Mountain and rural communities, ski towns specifically, have significantly higher rates of suicide compared to the national average (14.0 per 100,000). Destinations such as Telluride and Aspen in Colorado and Alta and Snowbird in Utah have up to two to three times as many suicides as the national average. It has been referred to as the “paradise paradox”.” With the allure of the West’s landscapes and outdoor lifestyles often comes a host of realities including isolation, lack of mental health care, easy access to firearms, and financial stressors. Experts from the University of Colorado Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Depression Center have also cited the social makeup of these communities as a contributing factor to mental health conditions and suicide. The transient nature of resort communities results in people having to regularly rebuild their support systems.
Last September, we partnered with community groups in Summit County, Utah to invite local employers to share their perspectives on the topic. Representatives from the tourism and service industries expressed the significant mental health struggle their communities face. One participant, an owner of a local restaurant group, summed it up as a “toxic work environment.” “You have people who come here to live the dream but have to work three jobs just to get by,” he explained. “We live and work in a place with primarily seasonal jobs which come with income instability, very high demands, and stress in peak times.” Other participants shared how they support employees by shifting schedules to allow employees to take days off even at busy times. “Overall, we heard from local business leaders that mental health is an issue they care about. They want to find solutions to ensure that their workforce is safe not only when they come to work, but when they go home,” shared Lili Tenney, director of outreach at the Center for Health, Work & Environment. “These employers often face ongoing struggles just to stay in business, so to have people take time off to share their personal stories and commitment to take action was very encouraging.”
In response to the workforce needs of these communities, our Center partnered with the Depression Center to host two days of workshops in February for mental health and suicide prevention in the workplace. The in-person trainings focused on reducing stigma, identifying warning signs, gaining crucial conversation skills, and establishing adaptable workplace supports. The first day trained 150 employees from Vail Resorts representing seven company divisions including base and mountain operations, hospitality, skier services, and corporate administration. The group of supervisors ranged from 25-66+ years of age and responded in pre and post surveys that they had all been in contact with someone who appeared to be experiencing mental health challenges at work. Sixty-nine percent of them reported being in contact with someone who appeared suicidal. The second day was hosted by the Park City Chamber of Commerce and brought together managers and supervisors from the service and tourism industries. Participants improved their knowledge about suicide from pre-training (3.1/5) to post-training (4.1/5) and improved their ability to get help for someone considering suicide from pre-training (3.4/5) to post-training (4.6/5).
“Employers in these communities are eager to play a role in supporting their employees,” says Tenney. “While our work at the Center aims to serve workers across the Western region, we are focused on developing community models that provide education and resources to help prevent mental illness and suicide in all places where access to care is lacking and risk factors are high.”
To receive more information on supporting employees, visit our Health Links Resource Center and training opportunities.
Special thanks to Alex Yannacone, Director of Education and Community Programs at the Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Depression Center, CONNECT Summit County, Park City Chamber of Commerce, and Vail Resorts.
Community Mental Health Community and Practice Suicide Prevention
Mental Health Colorado and American Foundation for Suicide Prevention - Colorado Chapter are once again hosting Suicide Prevention Day in February. Registration isn't open just yet, but you can check out the event page on Facebook for more information and updates as the event gets closer.
Mental Health Environment Worker Health
One in five U.S. adults lives with a mental illness[1], yet we’re loath to talk about mental health in the workplace. We’re hesitant to ask for what we need—a flexible work schedule, a mental health day, a check-in with leadership. We don’t want to lose our jobs, be passed up for promotions, be judged by coworkers. The stigma of mental illness keeps us silent. And silence stunts healing.
Community Mental Health Community and Practice Suicide Prevention
The holiday season can be a difficult time for many people, especially students. If you think you might need someone to talk to, the AMC campus has resources to help students, residents, and fellows. The Department of Psychiatry offers mental health appointments that can often be scheduled within a week. For more information, call (303) 724-4716 or go to the Student and Resident Mental Health website.
Community Mental Health Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Community Health
In a statement called Colorado Course Corrections, The Equitas Project has called for an urgent and immediate shift in awareness, and rebalancing of effort and investment across multiple stakeholders who share accountability for the health and safety of all Coloradans.
Mental Health ColoradoSPH at CSU
Though Dr. Juyeon Park has devoted much of her professional research to studying how humans use technology – focusing more on the human aspects than on designing the technology itself – she still didn’t anticipate the “Eureka!” moments and, sometimes, tears that came when young women truly saw themselves.
Research Mental Health ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Environment Worker Health
Women who suffer from depression, anxiety, and fatigue are more likely to be injured at work, according to a new study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine led by researchers from the Colorado School of Public Health’s Center for Health, Work & Environment on the CU Anschutz Medical Campus. The study found that these health factors significantly affected women’s risk of injury but not men’s risk.
Cancer Mental Health Latino Health
The Colorado School of Public Health has been named a recipient of a $1.9 million grant to address mental health disparities in low-income, uninsured and under-insured Coloradans who are suffering from lung, head and neck cancers. The grant is part of $152.8 million in grants that were recently allocated by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) Board of Governors to support studies covering a range of conditions and problems that impose high burdens on patients, caregivers, and the healthcare system.
UCHealth
April 19, 2024
“Timeliness of care makes a big difference in outcomes,” said Dr. Evelinn Borrayo, associate director in the Office of Community Outreach and Engagement at the University of Colorado Cancer Center and professor in the Department of Community & Behavioral Health at the Colorado School of Public Health, who leads the five-year trial. “Timely treatment improves survivorship, quality of life and mental health.”
Mirage News
April 17, 2024
The Colorado School of Public Health (ColoradoSPH) has been ranked #16 by U.S. News & World Report for graduate programs in public health. The rankings were announced publicly on April 9. Previously, ColoradoSPH had been ranked #17. As a newer school of public health, founded in 2008, ColoradoSPH, has risen steadily through the ranks from #35 to #16 in just 15 short years. The rankings of more than 200 schools and programs of public health are based on expert opinions about program excellence and other statistical indicators that measure the quality of a school's faculty, research, and students.
9 News
April 12, 2024
“People need to be aware that their risk associated with drinking PFAs in drinking water is still likely quite low, given we don’t have those high, high levels of contamination. The EPA standard is designed to really take that down to be most protective of public health,” said Ned Calonge, associate dean for public health practice, and a professor of epidemiology at the Colorado School of Public Health.
5280
April 02, 2024
Kristine Burrows has dedicated a big chunk of her young life to old age. She earned a master’s degree with a focus on leadership and healthy aging from the Colorado School of Public Health in 2018, launched a statewide day program for older adults with disabilities through the Lakewood chapter of national nonprofit Easterseals, and eventually worked as director of aging, care, and connections for the Jewish Family Service of Colorado.
Colorado School of Public Health
