Community safety impacts our health and mental well-being, but there is a limit on how much we can know. A safe neighborhood allows us to walk to school, exercise, visit with neighbors and simply get outside. These all impact our health and mental well-being. While COVID-19 caused us to re-evaluate access to outdoor space, one...

Nonresponse rates, new political maps and churning racial and ethnic identity Decennial Census data Every ten years since 1790, the government has collected data as required by the Constitution. The very first one consisted of only six questions of 3.9 million people and was used to apportion seats in the House of Representatives. In 2020,...

Learn how to layer your understanding of chronic diseases and prevention in communities A growing body of evidence has linked oral health, particularly periodontal or gum disease, to several chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. In pregnant women, poor oral health has also been associated with premature births and low birth weight. The...

But where is the data to understand the depth and impact of mental illness across America? Simply put it is sparse, uneven and detached from typical physical indicators we use to measure health.  There are many reasons for this, including the stigma that has long been attached to any suggestion of mental deficiency. So what...