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An Overview of Mental Health in Victoria, Texas

Victoria, Texas is a city with a population of 92,084 people located in Victoria County. The city is sometimes referred to as “The Crossroads” due to the fact it is a two hour drive from Corpus Christi, Houston, San Antonio, and Austin. It is also only 30 miles from the Gulf of Mexico, which its residents enjoy taking trips to often. The racial profile of residents in Victoria are primarily made up of Whites and Hispanics. In fact, it is pretty even split since 44.6 percent of people identify as White only, without being Hispanic or Latino, and 47 percent of people identify as Hispanic or Latino.

There are many recreational activities and regional attractions for both residents and visitors to enjoy in Victoria, Texas. For residents who love to share their love for barbecue, The Great Coastal Texas Barbecue Trail is a popular activity in the city. Riverside Park and Coleto Creek Park and Reservoir are two frequently visited spots for water sports, fishing, bird watching, picnicking, hiking, camping and more! There are also many opportunities for people to enjoy learning about Victoria’s history and enjoy regional attractions like the Chisholm Trail Heritage Museum and the Our Lady of Victory Cathedral.

While the warm weather, opportunities for exercise, and strong sense of community likely contribute to the great mental health of many in Victoria, there are still those in the community who struggle with mental illness. One indicator that there are those in the community deal with mental illness is that the poverty rate is at 15.7 percent, which is higher than then national average. In addition, the high school graduation rate is at only 83 percent which indicates that mental health is a concern for youths as well.

Mental Health Statistics

Overall, Texas has some of the lowest rates of those living with mental illnesses compared to the rest of the nation. While 18.07 percent of adults are living with a mental illness nationally, only 16.04 percent are living with a mental illness in Texas. The state also ranks low overall for substance abuse issues and suicidal thoughts for adults. However, youths living in Texas have lower rankings than adults in the city which reveals there are a lot of youths struggling with substance abuse problems and depression.

With a rate of 12.58, Texas’ suicide rate is lower than the national average of 13.47 percent. However, Victoria County’s rate is higher than both the national and state average at  14.58 percent. Victoria also has higher rates of drug overdose than many other counties in the state with a rate of 13 percent and 34 overall deaths.

Minorities in Victoria struggle more than their white counterparts in several aspects. While only 8.47 percent of White residents live in poverty, 23.98 percent of Hispanics and 24.74 percent of Native Americans live below the poverty line. In addition, Hispanics have much lower rates of educational attainment. In Victoria, the high school graduation rate is 93.56 percent for Whites and the Bachelor’s degree rates is 32.53 percent. On the other hand, Hispanics have a high school graduation rate of 70.51 percent and a Bachelor’s degree rate of 8.27 percent.

Access to Mental Health Care in Victoria, Texas

Although Texas ranks well when it comes to prevalence of mental health, the state ranks very poorly for access to mental health care within the state. Overall, the state ranks 50^th for providing the least mental health care resources to its residents.

One big issue in Texas is that 23 percent of residents are uninsured, which is a higher rate than any other state. The rate in Victoria of uninsured individuals is 18.8 percent which reveals money can be an issue in accessing care. In addition, 62.2 percent of people with a mental illness did not receive treatment in Texas and 29.9 percent could not see a doctor due to costs. Also, 71.3 percent of youths with depression did not receive treatment. Another huge concern in the state is that there are only one mental health provider for every 1010 residents in the state.