Apple Valley, Minnesota Therapists

An Overview of Mental Health in Apple Valley, Minnesota

Located in the southeastern section of Minnesota, Apple Valley is in Dakota County and an equal distance away from both downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul. The total population of the city was 54,121 as of 2019, with 80.2 percent white residents, 6.7 percent Hispanic residents, 5.7 percent Asian residents, and 7.7 percent African American residents. The median household income in 2018 was $87,164, and the city has a low poverty rate of 6 percent. The city also has a good high school graduation rate of 94.8 percent. Approximately 5 percent of residents do not have health insurance.

Apple Valley at a Glance

Apple Valley is a city that promotes an active lifestyle, strives for energy efficiency and sustainability, and offers many activities for the whole family to enjoy. While the city itself is primarily a suburb known for its quality schools and business opportunities, it is only minutes away from large cities. Apple Valley is home to the Minnesota Zoo and has a wide variety of other places of interest such as the Lebanon Hills Regional Park, Valleywood Golf Course, and Bogart’s Entertainment Center. Several locations allow residents to get a bite to eat, watch a film, shop, go bowling, and other diverse activities.

Mental Health Concerns for Apple Valley

There are many benefits to living in Apple Valley such as a crime rate lower than both the state and national average, a 79% rate of home ownership, a low poverty rate, and a wide variety of employment opportunities. However, there are still several statistics that reveal some of how residents’ mental health has been negatively impacted:

• In the 2018 Community Health Assessment for Dakota County, inactivity among adults was listed as a major concern. The percentage of adults not participating in leisure physical activity rose by 12 percent between the years 2010 and 2014. Results also showed that those without a bachelor’s degree are three times more likely to be inactive and that Hispanics and African Americans in the community were more likely to be inactive than white-only residents.
• Dakota County was home to 152 residents between the years 2013 and 2017. Additionally, 10.7 percent of residents were foreign-born and 13.4 percent speak a language other than English at home. New immigrants and refugees may not know where to seek help for their physical and mental health concerns and not receive treatment as a result.
• Nine percent of Dakota County students in the ninth grade report having been threatened and 13 percent report being bullied online or through texting in the last thirty days. Gender non-conforming students were the most affected with 19 percent claiming to have been threatened. 15 percent of lesbian, gay, or questioning ninth-graders were threatened. This compares to eight percent of heterosexual students claiming to have been threatened. Bullying can lead to the development of mental health problems in youth that persist into adulthood.
• In 2014, 9.8 percent of surveyed adults over the age of 25 living in Dakota County reported that their mental health was not good for 14 or more days in the last 30 days. 11.3 percent of ninth-graders report seriously considering suicide in the last year. From 2015 to 2017, the suicide rate was 16.5 per 100,000 people. Suicide was the eighth cause of death in the county in 2017.
• 2 percent of males and 17.2 percent of females older than 25 reported binge drinking in the last 30 days. 8.9 percent of 9^th graders report drinking in the last thirty days and 5.6 percent report using illicit drugs in the last year. In 2017, there were 39 overdose deaths in Dakota County.

Mental Health Resources for Apple Valley

For people considering thoughts of suicide or in a mental health crisis, several resources only require a quick phone call for help. Here are a few resources that can be useful to individuals in Apple Valley with mental health concerns:

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988
• Apple Valley Police Department: 9-1-1 or 952-322-2323
• Associated Clinic of Psychology: 952-432-1484
• Fairview Ridges Hospital Emergency Room: 952-892-2000

Working with a therapist is important for receiving long-term care and discovering a treatment plan that is best for you.