San Juan Basin Public Health hosted Well-Being Amid Disruption Forums in collaboration the American Geophysical Unions Thriving Earth Exchange, the Department of Environment and Sustainability at Fort Lewis College and the Colorado Local Science Engagement Network. This collaboration is part of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and Cooperative Institute of Research in Environmental Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder. The community forums were held in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as other public and environmental health crises. They facilitated discussion about adaptive strategies that could be used to build resilience and prepare for future impacts.
Between October, 2021, and January, 2022, five forums between two cohorts were held using COVID safe protocols. The forums were attended by approximately 50 community members representing a variety of stakeholders, including local government partners, non profit organizations, higher education and public health.
Four main themes emerged from the forums: Building Connection and communication, Equitable Living Related To Housing, Food and Resources, Interconnected Well-Being and Health of People and the Planet and Reconciling Political Divides. Sandhya Tillotson, Sagebrush Ltd., facilitated the forums.
Alex Wilson, a local videographer produced a short video that summarizes the forums.
One of the most concerning trends that were identified through the forums was that climate change is affecting mental health. This is leading to an increase in what people call climate anxiety. There are also predictions that these impacts will continue causing more harm to youth than other demographics. There are increasing numbers of extreme weather events in our society, which is causing negative impacts on people’s health and environmental health.
Rural communities like those in Southwest Colorado may not have the power to change global climate change trends. However, forums and community discussions like Well-Being Amid Disaster can enable individuals to think creatively about potential solutions and talk openly with one another about their anxiety. This can help to reduce feelings of helplessness and help them feel less helpless. Despite the overwhelming scientific evidence and media’s tendency to exaggerate natural disasters and to make it seem like they are, rural communities can still maintain and build resilience, and devise strategies to ensure that new environmental and public-health crises are less severe to people’s well-being.
How we communicate science in crisis situations can either increase our helplessness and take away power, or motivate and empower us to manifest our power, build community, and act to transform crisis into security and a better planet. Heidi Steltzer, Professor at Fort Lewis College, said that science can connect us to one other and to the Earth.
In addition to climate change’s impact on mental health, COVID-19 also has an outsized effect on the number of people who are lonely and suffer from despair. COVID-19 has contributed to a growing loneliness epidemic, with a particular impact on young Americans. Deaths from despair are rising in the U.S. in ways not seen elsewhere. Drug overdose deaths have surpassed the 100,000 threshold between April 2020 and April 2021. This is alarming, given the enormous impact it has on working-class Americans.
Forum participants highlighted the importance of building connections and working together to devise strategies to improve community resilience and economic stability during times of public or environmental health crises. These relationships and the ability of to have discussions across different points are what will propel our region toward more positive outcomes.
COVID-19, along with other recent environmental and public health crises, has created a multitude of challenges in our community. It is clear that COVID-19 exposed the systemic health inequalities across the country. We believe that our future mission will be to build resilience and deliver services that help people achieve their highest potential for health. Liane Jollon, Executive director, SJBPH.
Chandler Griffin
Chandler Griffin is the Communications Director of San Juan Basin Public Health district. SJBPH is a local health agency that serves all residents of Archuleta, La Plata, and Archuleta. It is governed locally by a seven-member Board of Health.