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An Overview of Mental Health in Boulder, Colorado
Boulder, Colorado is a picturesque city in the Rocky Mountains. Boulder is known for having at least 300 days of sunshine each year and a temperate climate — the coldest it usually gets is about 45 degrees Fahrenheit in January and the hottest temperature is generally around 87 degrees in July. Sweaters are still often required on summer nights; Boulder’s altitude of 5,430 feet above sea level can make the evenings rather cool. The city gets an average of 89 inches of snowfall each year.
Boulder offers plenty of scenery, recreation, entertainment, and access to a variety of affordable healthcare options — especially for mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, and schizophrenia.
As of July 2017, Boulder had 107,125 residents, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
The poverty level for Boulder is 22%, which is more than twice as high as the state average of 10.3% and substantially higher than the U.S. average of 12.3%.
Therefore, finances could present a challenge to Boulder, Colorado residents seeking mental health care services.
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), poverty worsens the symptoms of serious mental illnesses such as depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder.
Poverty also makes it more likely that a person will experience a serious mental illness. Finally, anyone who has a mental health condition such as depression or schizophrenia is more likely to end up living in poverty after symptoms begin to appear. This applies to people of all education levels and professions.
According to a report from the American Psychological Association, Colorado has nearly 1,900 active psychologists. This indicates how pervasive the problem of mental illness is among people throughout the state.
According to SAMHSA’s Colorado Behavioral Health Barometer for 2015, the state has mental illness prevalence rates that are nearly identical to the national average. The percentage of major depressive episodes among Colorado children ages 12-17 in 2013-2014 was 11.7% — close to one percentage point higher than the U.S. average of 11% for the same period. The average for serious mental illnesses among Colorado adults in 2013-2014 was 3.7% —half a percentage point lower than the national average of 4.2%.
However, another report from the non-profit advocacy group Mental Health America claims that Colorado is one of the worst states in the country as far as the prevalence of mental illnesses such as depression and bipolar disorder. Additional SAMHSA data notes that nearly 20% of Colorado residents have some type of mental illness; this is the third-highest rate in the United States. Substance abuse is also significantly high among Colorado youth, though despite Colorado’s lenient laws on marijuana fewer adolescents are experimenting with marijuana nowadays.
The good news is that Mental Health America ranked Colorado number 17 in terms of offering mental health care and number 8 in terms of the number of people with mental illness who have health insurance.
A SAMHSA online search engine lists four facilities in Boulder that offer inpatient and outpatient mental health services for children and adults. On the other hand, there are 10 providers of services related to substance abuse in Boulder, Colorado.
It appears that some Boulder residents may seek healthcare in neighboring communities such as Lafayette (approximately seven miles away), Louisville (approximately eight miles away), Broomfield (approximately 11 miles away), and Longmont (approximately 14 miles away). SAMHSA lists four additional mental health treatment options and 17 additional substance abuse treatment options within a 15-mile radius of Boulder, Colorado.
Some of the inpatient and outpatient mental health and substance abuse treatment services available in Boulder and nearby cities offer low-cost or free treatment to people with low income and/or no insurance.
This website is dedicated to helping people in Boulder, Colorado and every other U.S. city find the best mental health treatment available.
While your employer or health insurer likely has a referral service, you are likely to end up frustrated after hours of completing rather personal forms. More often than not, providers recommended by your employer or health insurer have few or no appointments.
Our directory helps you find a therapist in or near Boulder, Colorado. We provide mental health resources for residents of Boulder, Colorado who would like to receive therapy or another type of service from a mental health care professional.