Data-Driven ‘Project WELL’ report aims to convene partners looking to join conversation in addressing mental health concerns
Belmont University Data Collaborative recently released preliminary findings from Project WELL, its community health-equity initiative announced in May, focused on addressing mental health concerns in young Nashvillians – a population being hit particularly hard by this issue. Tied for third in the nation for mental health concerns, more than 38 percent of Tennesseans have reported symptoms of anxiety or depression in June, and people ages 18-39 are suffering in a particular way with percentages above 45 percent reported for this demographic.
The BDC Project WELL report challenges conventional wisdom about how mental health issues are analyzed and understood. Instead of relying solely on traditional insights from insurance claims or self-reported data, which tend to contain underlying bias, BDC analysts took a new approach by examining social determinants of mental health.
BDC created a Mental Health Index for communities across 41 counties in Middle Tennessee, drawing on a variety of publicly available datasets. Analyzing the social determinants of mental health through this index helps to paint a picture of what is driving vulnerability in a particular community.
BDC Assistant Director Dr. Marquinta Harvey served as a primary researcher on the project. “Looking at this issue from a new perspective allowed the data to reveal vulnerabilities in communities that are traditionally underserved,” she explained.
“We make decisions based on data,” Harvey added. “But there are so many biases in data that when we are looking at where to put resources, and certain demographics are not captured accurately in the data or well-represented, then we aren’t going about things in the most feasible way. But this way, we get a more impartial view of how to start looking at the communities that are in need.”
One of the report’s key findings is the distinction between rural and urban communities in their mental health vulnerabilities, with the index revealing that rural communities face a different set of challenges compared to their urban counterparts. Rural drivers of mental health concerns tend to be more socioeconomic factors like income, poverty, education and job opportunities, while urban areas tend to face more societal drivers like crime rates, lack of green space and lower voter representation. This insight allows for more targeted interventions that address the root causes of mental health issues in these areas.
BDC Data Analytics Manager Tommy Strickler said the index score the team created was made up of four broad categories: U.S. societal problems, socioeconomic status, basic needs and physical environment. The closer the score to 1.0, the higher the vulnerability for that community.
The team noticed certain patterns and vulnerable categories within rural counties but to get a feel for urban communities, they had to look more granularly. High vulnerability areas emerged at zip code level – not necessarily at county level.
For example: Rutherford County ranked low on the team’s index at .29, but the city of Murfreesboro within Rutherford ranked as “high vulnerability” at .87. The picture is similar in Montgomery County where the communities within are strikingly different.
“Nashville’s the tale of two cities,” Strickler said. “So, to look at Davidson County overall, it’s not one of the top tier most vulnerable counties. But when you look at it from a zip code perspective, you can see some of the most vulnerable communities in the entire Middle Tennessee area are right here in Nashville – their impact gets diluted by the lower vulnerability areas within the county. With this kind of index, we are able to actually drill into the specific vulnerabilities within these areas, which makes it more actionable when we are talking with organizations that want to help.”
Four of the top 10 most vulnerable zip codes in Middle Tennessee are in Nashville, and nine of Nashville’s 21 zip codes fall into the “high vulnerability” category. These areas have higher population density, lower median income and lower life expectancy than their surrounding zip codes.
The team is currently looking more closely into reoccurring patterns such as veteran populations in Clarksville or the commuter community coming in from Murfreesboro, as well as digging in deeper to the nuances within Nashville’s diverse populations.
Harvey said this data gives people support who are thinking about the issue from several angles. “We are hoping that this data will help back up organizations who are writing grants that address these issues or provide zip code level data needed to support initiatives in both rural and urban areas,” she explained. “We’re really excited about where various stakeholders will take this in the future and about supporting them through that process.”
Data does not provide solutions, but rather, it starts important and provocative conversations that can clear pathways toward meaningful action. While there is no one solution that will help all communities that are suffering across the state of Tennessee, BDC is gathering the best data available, looking at it with clear eyes, working to fill the information gaps and making it all accessible to communities and partners who are ready to help continue the conversation.
Please contact BDC if:
- you are aware of or have access to information that can improve the Mental Well-Being Index;
- your organization wants to make a difference by joining the conversation;
- you can use the Mental Well-Being Index to help share the story of mental illness vulnerability in your community;
- you are interested in how BDC can empower your business, nonprofit, school or house of worship to be more aware of mental illness and become part of the solution in your community;
- you are interested in BDC providing access to the data your nonprofit organization needs to address mental illness in your area; or
- you are a government decision-maker, elected official, organizer or political advocate seeking policy changes to promote the well-being of your community.