Mental Health

Mental health is a fundamental part of overall health. The impact of unresolved mental health issues in childhood and adolescence can lead to poorer health and poorer social outcomes in adulthood. In 2021, the U.S. Surgeon General released a report entitled Protecting Youth Mental Health in response to the mental health challenges faced by youth, which have been heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mental health conditions are real and treatable. Visit https://mentisnapa.org/resources/ to find mental health resources available in Napa County.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are traumatic experiences during childhood that include but are not limited to abuse, neglect, exposure to violence, mental illness, divorce, substance abuse, or criminal activity. These experiences leave youth more vulnerable to poor health throughout their lives. The more ACEs a child has, the higher the probability they will develop health and behavioral issues associated with these experiences.

The National Survey of Children’s Health tracks the percentage of children in California who have experienced ACEs. It asks parents about their children’s exposure to family, economic, and community adversity. Visit Let's Get Healthy California for more information.

The map above shows the percentage of children that have been exposed to one or more ACEs. Napa County had one of the lowest ACE rates in the state with 41% of parents reporting that their children have experienced at least one ACE; 59% of children had no exposure to ACEs, 28% with exposure to 1 ACE, and 13% with exposure to 2 or more ACEs. Select from the filters to see the results for 1 ACE exposure and 2 or more ACE exposures for California and Napa County.

There are proven ways to prevent ACEs and foster resilience in both children and adults. In 2020, the Roadmap for Resilience: The California Surgeon General’s Report on Adverse Childhood Experiences, Toxic Stress, and Health outline strategies that promote healthy families and community environments as well as strategies to manage toxic stress. Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs) are viewed as an impactful tool to counteract the effects of ACEs. PCEs are based on building resilience and systems of support. Studies have showed that, despite the presence of ACEs, children can thrive as adults when surrounded by a strong, healthy, supportive community. 

Information on counseling seeking behavior can help us understand the current state of mental health needs among children and teens. The California Health Interview Survey asked teens aged 13-17 and parents of children aged 4-12 if "During the past 12 months, did (You/They) receive any psychological or emotional counseling?". The large variation in data for children is due to the low number of respondents. In both cases, a decreasing trend is observed in the percentage of children who did NOT receive counseling and can be interpreted as an increase in demand for psychological or emotional counseling in these age groups, an increase of counseling services available to this population, and/or a reduction of stigmatization of mental health needs among children and teens.

According to the CDC,

High levels of school connectedness are associated with an increase of positive health behaviors (healthy eating, active lifestyle) and reduction in risky behaviors (drug usage, violence, sexual health). The chart for elementary school students shows high levels of school connectedness. However, for secondary school students, there is room for improvement, especially given the dramatic decrease in these values for recent years.

California Healthy Kids Survey is part of the California School Climate, Health, and Learning Surveys. The CalSCHLS system was created by the California Department of Education to provide quality actionable data to improve youth academic performance, social-emotional, behavioral, and physical health. These metrics help us understand part of the social context the county's youth is immersed in and where to direct public health efforts. Other important metrics for Napa County can be seen in the chart below, including academic motivation, anti-bullying climate, parental involvement, meaningful participation and emotional/learning supports. 

Students feeling connected to each other and to their teachers at school positively impacts their mental health and is protective against depression. Between 2011 and 2017, feelings of school connectedness were increasing among several race/ethnicity groups in Napa County. In the most recent assessment, feelings of school connectedness had decreased for all groups. Looking at school connectedness by race and ethnicity shows how racial and ethnic minority groups experience school and the learning environment. Mental health disparities among youth of different race/ethnicity were evident before the pandemic and the extent of the COVID-19 pandemic's negative impact on the mental health of youth is still being researched. With this in mind, building and increasing school connectedness, especially among the most vulnerable youth, can be an important strategy to reduce depression, increase psychological wellbeing, and increase academic achievement. Visit KidsData.org for more information.

At national, state, and local levels, LGBTQ+ youth are at higher risk of bullying and depression-related feelings compared to cis-gender straight youth. The chart below displays data for California and Napa County. Over half of the youth identifying as LGBTQ+ suffer with bullying/harassment and depression-related feelings. 

Youth who are unsure of their sexual orientation also report higher levels of depression and bullying harassment. School connectedness and antibullying sentiment are important to assure mental health protection for these youth. Visit KidsData.org for more information.

Data on emergency department visits due to mental health conditions provides insight into what conditions are impacting the community and how public health interventions might provide support to prevent mental health emergencies. This analysis uses a tool developed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to identify emergency department visits for many conditions, including depression, anxiety, trauma, personality disorders, self-harm, neurodevelopmental disorders, alcohol, opioid, tobacco and other substance use disorders, and other related health outcomes caused by these conditions. In Napa County, approximately 4% of all emergency department visits are for mental health conditions.

The links below provide additional information for many of the health topics discussed on this page: