Last Updated on December 31, 2024 by Brenda

Mental Health Matters

Mental health refers to our social and emotional well-being. Our mental health impacts the way we interact with other individuals and also the way we think and feel. The decisions we make in life and how we handle stressful situations is considered part of our mental health.

Everyone has mental health just like we have physical health. Oftentimes we focus most of our energy on physical health instead of balancing both physical and mental health equally. We know what we must do for our physical health but not the best practices for maintaining good mental health.

After reviewing data and conducting County-wide Surveys, the Quay County Health Council selected Mental Health as a major health issue for Quay County. Local data is hard to get but here is New Mexico 2024 data from Mental Health America. New Mexico is repeatedly in the bottom third of the states for all of their factors identifying mental health issues. Typically Quay County is in the bottom third of New Mexico Counties when is comes to health related issues.

  • 25.67% of New Mexico Adults experienced a mental illness in the past year.
  • 23.23% of New Mexico youth (ages 12 -17) reported suffering from at least one major depressive episode (MDE) in the past year.
  • 12.95% of New Mexico Youth are experiencing serious thoughts of suicide.
  • 23.55% of adults in the New Mexico had a substance use disorder in the past year.
  • 69.6% of New Mexico youth with major depression did not receive any mental health treatment. This was defined as receiving treatment or counseling from a medical doctor or other professional or receiving medication for MDE.

Explore the complete report here: The State of Mental Health in America

There are 10 types of Mental Health Disorders and our group of volunteers did not have the capacity to deal with most of them.

  • Anxiety Disorders
  • Mood Disorders
  • Psychotic Disorders
  • Eating Disorders
  • Personality Disorders
  • Post-traumatic Stress Disorders
  • Impulse Control and Addiction Disorders
  • Factitious Disorders
  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
  • Sexual and Gender Disorders

Follow us as we add things and build on our plan to improve mental health in Quay County

  • Since 2020, our Social Media Committee has created hundreds of posts to provide encouragement, resources, and education around Mental Health.
  • Since 2020, have provided several community presentations as Facebook Lives and in person to help people improve their mental health.
  • Since 2022, our contractors have offered QPR, a suicide prevention training, providing tools for conversations with those that are considering suicide.
  • Contractors have created resource lists and provided them at every tabling event.
  • Created an online resource directory with a variety of mental health resources.
  • In January 2023 started posting self-care videos on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. YouTube Take A Moment for Self Care Playlist
  • Since 2023 held a Family Resource Event with many mental health providers represented.
  • In 2024, worked with a group of youth using a curriculum to build resilience skills.
  • Participate in statewide and local committees looking at mental health issues.
  • Conducted focus groups and listening sessions around mental health issues.
  • Created a Community Health Improvement Plan in 2023 that helped us focus our efforts.
  • Dropped several podcasts episodes related to mental health.
  • Launched a Community Kindness Campaign in August 2023.
  • A Community Health Improvement Plan Created in 2024 focuses our efforts on anxiety disorders. Visit Here for Details on Our Plan
  • Launched a Positive Comment Campaign in January 2025.