St. Johns County, and Ponte Vedra in particular, once again have been ranked No. 1 in Florida in terms of health outcomes and health risk factors, according to the latest report by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.
While the area consistently scores above state averages in most mental well-being measurements, its suicide rate remains oddly above state and national averages. The county also ranks above national averages in other behavioral health indicators such as drug overdoses, homicides, violent crime and frequent mental distress, the report shows.
This apparent contradiction is not uncommon in affluent communities despite the county’s extremely high access to mental health providers, employment opportunities and above average wages, according to Dr. Christine Cauffield, CEO of LSF Health Systems.
“By almost all measures, St. Johns County is Florida’s healthiest county,” Cauffield said. “Yet, its residents report poor mental health higher than the national average. They also report drinking and smoking rates higher than national averages. These are symptoms we often see among high-performing, high-stress populations.”
Depression and suicide rates across Florida continue rising at an alarming — even staggering — rate since the beginning of the pandemic. Cauffield noted that in 2020, 19% of Floridians reported depression symptoms. In 2021, that number rose to 26%, and this year more than one in three Florida residents say they experienced symptoms of clinical depression.
“These skyrocketing depression numbers, combined with the rising rates of suicide and drug overdoses, illustrate the mental health epidemic we’re fighting across the state,” said Cauffield, whose nonprofit agency manages state-funded behavioral health services for residents in 23 North and Central Florida counties, including St. Johns County.
May’s observance of National Mental Health Awareness Month provides an opportunity to examine the mental health impacts that the pandemic and other factors are having on all populations, Cauffield said.
Residents concerned about themselves or others can call LSF Health Systems’ free access to care line 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 877-229-9098.
