If you have met me, it probably doesn’t surprise you to learn that I can’t grow any meaningful facial hair (which, despite popular opinion, is not because people think I’m 15 years old).
But, if I could, now is a time when I might be found sporting a mustache. The mustache would be in honor of “Movember,” a movement during the month of November where men grow a mustache in support of men’s health.
Since the Movember organization started the movement in 2003, it has raised $1.4 billion to donate to men’s health causes. The donations specifically target some of the leading causes of death in men: prostate cancer, suicide, and testicular cancer. And the global organization invests in research and spreading awareness of these conditions.
I have no connection to the organization, nor am I taking any global-scale action. But, as a physician, I certainly see the impacts of each of these issues within my practice in Wood River Valley. Of these three issues, the one I want to touch on a little bit more is mental health:
Despite the outward appearance of living in a fantasy, depression is particularly prevalent within mountain communities. Ski towns across the country are searching for ways to handle a crisis within their locals that is often hidden from the visitors that frequent the area.
The Wood River Valley is among this list. I likely do not have to tell you that mental health is a huge challenge within our community, and one that comes with a large deficit in resources.
A 2022 community health needs assessment survey showed that 60 per cent of responders felt our mental health care services are insufficient. This is supported by the data: Blaine County has fewer mental health providers per capita than the state of Idaho as a whole. And Idaho as a state ranks near the bottom of the nation for providers per capita. Further, the most recent CDC data reports that Idaho was the state with the sixth highest rate of suicide in the country in 2022.
Clearly, mental health is a concern that needs addressing. Regardless of gender, honor the spirit of Movember and let’s break down barriers about talking about mental health. I encourage all of you to check in with your friends and family. Talk to your doctor. Even when local resources are limited, we live in an age with online options available to help when you need it.
On a local level, we are making progress: The Mental Well-Being Initiative (MWBI), was created in 2023 with a goal to bring together non-profit organizations, healthcare providers, school leaders, government officials, local businesses and the St. Luke’s Wood River Foundation to share assets and create a unified effort of improving the state of mental health in our valley.
There are more than 35 organizations involved with key aims of increasing access to care, including crisis support teams, Spanish language services/information, and improving preventive care within the school system. Anyone who is interested in learning more about the MWBI can go to https://www.slwrf.org/blaine-countys-mental-well-being-initiative/ to find an overview and links to more information.
Please get involved. For some it might mean joining the MWBI, supporting the businesses that support the MWBI or donating to Movember. For others, it may simply be talking to your family. For those who can, I encourage you to use a mustache to start a conversation.
