Kansas State University

The Community Health Corner

Submitted by Stephanie Gutierrez

Community health uses science-based approaches for the greatest health benefit to the greatest number of people by addressing the social, economic, and structural drivers that impact health. The National Extension Framework for Health Equity and Well-being recommends health equity and community approaches to ensure that every person has the opportunity to "attain his or her full health potential," and no one is "disadvantaged from achieving this potential because of social position or other socially determined circumstances." The following tools and resources can be used to improve health equity and well-being working with communities.

USE NOW: Each person’s “healthiest self” is different. We have different bodies, minds, living situations, and people influencing our lives. This means we each have a unique set of health needs, and each area can impact overall health. Check out the National Institutes of Health - Your Healthiest Self: Wellness Toolkits to learn more about improving overall health and wellbeing.

REGISTER NOW: The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Forum on Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders will host a public 3-part webinar series on Innovative Data Science Approaches to Assess Suicide Risk in Individuals, Populations, and Communities: Current Practices, Opportunities, and Risks.

Webinar 1 on April 28, 2022 from 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. ET, will focus on current approaches used by social media platforms, technology companies, and researchers to determine suicide risk in individuals and communities. Register Here

Sessions will:

• Explore current strategies used by technology and social media platforms
• Discuss AI/ML algorithms used to identify individuals and populations at high risk for suicide 
• Examine data science techniques and their effectiveness to assess suicide risk
• Discuss the responsibility of AI/ML algorithms in the continuum of care for suicide prevention

This workshop is sponsored by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institute of Mental Health, and Indian Health Services.

Webinar 2 | May 12, 2022 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. ET

Webinar 3 | June 30, 2022 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. ET

READ NOW: Climate change can cause and intensify stress and anxiety, and adversely affects mental health. Events such as extreme storms or extreme heat can lead to depression, anger, and even violence. The destructive effects of climate change and the resulting poor mental well-being are likely to fall disproportionately on communities that are already disadvantaged by historic and current social, economic, and political oppression. The Climate Change Is Affecting Our Mental Health Infographic highlights the challenges facing humanity in regard to mental well-being and climate change as well as offers steps that can be taken to build mental health resilience.

For more information, contact Elaine Johannes, ejohanne@ksu.edu; and Stephanie Gutierrez, smgutier@k-state.edu.