There Are Many Kinds of Wealth…
Below is the “Whole Health Cairn,” created by Lissa Rankin, M.D.
In Santa Cruz County, we face significant health challenges, especially for mental health.
Santa Cruz County is an attractive place to call home: beautiful beaches, majestic redwood trees, approximately 300 days of sunshine annually, and a rich history of setting itself apart from the mainland.
Sadly, mental health in Santa Cruz County is trending negatively.
Average life expectancy has been falling since 2017.
More than HALF of our middle and high school students were battling chronic depression during the pandemic, according to the California Healthy Kids Survey from 2021.
A majority of UCSC college students report that anxiety and/or depression have gotten in the way of their ability to function.
Santa Cruz County has the highest rate of homelessness per capita in the state of California; a trauma that is experienced by all, unevenly.
The risk of dying from a fatal drug overdose here is sky-high, topping the charts in California and coming in far worse than most other developed nations.
Why is overall mental health extremely poor in Santa Cruz County compared to other developed countries?
Are people in other countries simply better at positive thinking?
Probably not.
Are they more resilient?
Doubtful.
Do they have more chemically-balanced brains?
Nope.
Do they have better genetics?
Of course not.
It’s the social and physical environment we live in.
Studies have shown that rapid increases in housing prices, an auto-centric physical environment, and use of addictive digital technology such as smart phones all take a toll on our health. You can hardly live in Santa Cruz County without encountering these three components on a daily basis.
The big question is this:
How can we overcome/change the obstacles in our environment that prevent us from reaching greater health and happiness?
