With just over a week left to collect responses, the Teton Behavioral Health Alliance is about halfway to its goal of 1,500 responses to a survey that aims to measure trends in the area’s mental health awareness and needs.
Confidential surveys – available in English and Spanish – close on Feb. 7. And this year’s results are expected to be particularly significant.
This marks the third survey since 2021 for Jackson Hole residents, part of broader survey efforts across 11 mountain towns in the West, funded in large part by the Katz Amsterdam Charitable Trust.
Having three data points will show trends, said Kate Schelbe with the Teton Behavioral Health Alliance, a coalition housed under the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole.
There are some common themes she has her eye on.
“In all of these resort communities, there is a ski culture that coincides with a party culture,” she said. “We’ve seen a lot of data around alcohol use, substance misuse, as well as work around limiting consumption.”
The survey also asks about residents’ feelings of loneliness and their comfort and attitudes towards discussing mental health.
“One of our goals is to make sure that community members know how to identify and navigate mental health resources,” Schelbe said, “so we need to be able to measure that.”
The results of past years are posted on a Community Wellbeing Dashboard.
If the response goal is met, this year will also provide the statistically clearest picture of the community’s behavioral health. In 2021, Schelbe said 1,029 people responded. In 2024, that number rose by about 11% to 1,142, with 124 in Spanish. In that time, the area’s population has stayed relatively stable.
The goal this year is to get 300 responses in Spanish.
Results are expected to be released this summer.
