Dunn County comprehensive health assessment: phase II social and mental health

Abstract

This study was designed to assess the healthcare services available in Dunn County and the health and wellness needs of residents in the county. This report focuses on the areas of social and mental health. For the purposes of this report, social and mental health refers to the treatment and well being of individuals in the areas of elderly care; infants, children and adolescents; persons with disabilities; domestic violence and sexual assault; alcohol and other drug abuse; and mental health care services among other things. An original questionnaire was developed for this research, which consisted of over 200 items on 11 pages. The final questionnaire was mailed during the fall of 2001 to a random sample of 1,000 Dunn County residents. A total of 296 deliverable surveys were returned for a response rate of 32%. Including all respondents, for the six areas of social and mental health, approximately 25-34% were aware of no programs, 52-61% were aware of some programs, and 11-16% were aware of several programs. Including all respondents, for the six areas, approximately 87-99% used no programs, and 1-13% used some or several programs. Including only those respondents who have used the programs, 32% felt that programs for people with disabilities need improvement, 30% felt that programs for people affected by alcohol and other drug abuse issues need improvement, 15.4% felt that programs for infants, children, and adolescents need improvement, 14.3% felt that programs for people affected by domestic violence/sexual assault need improvement, 13.3% felt that programs for people in need of mental health /counseling services need improvement, and 10.5% felt that programs for the elderly population need improvement.