Author: Nichole Huff
Major Program: Substance Use and Mental Health - FCS
In 2021, approximately 589,000 Kentuckians experienced a substance use disorder, a sharp increase from 279,000 reported in 2019 (data for 2020 are unavailable). More than 2,000 Kentuckians died from drug overdoses in 2021, around 80 percent of which involved opioids. As this public health crisis worsens, it levies tremendous economic consequences for the state, as well. The combined economic costs of health care, substance use treatment, criminal justice, lost productivity, reduced quality of li
Author: Leslie Workman
The University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service conducted a Statewide Community Needs Assessment in 2023 to identify and prioritize community needs, issues, and/or opportunities that UK the Cooperative Extension System could address through targeted educational programming and engagement efforts. “Support for substance use addiction prevention/recovery” was among the top 15 priority issues reported statewide.Kentuckians have experienced incredible physical, mental, and finan
Author: Lora Davidson
Dexterity and memory are crucial for seniors as they directly impact daily living and overall quality of life. Enhanced dexterity aids in maintaining independence by improving the ability to perform everyday tasks, while strong memory function supports cognitive health and social engagement. Engaging in activities that stimulate both fine motor skills and cognitive abilities can significantly contribute to healthy aging, reducing the risk of cognitive decline and promoting mental and physical we
Author: Elizabeth Evans
According to the National Center for PTSD, about 6% of the population of the Unites States will experience Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder at some point in their lives. Now, when it comes to our military and first responders-those who spend their careers ensuring the safety of the general population, their rate of PTSD is estimated to be around 33% (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, SAMHSA). Breaking down rates of PTSD among first responders and military, it is estimated
The University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service conducted a Statewide Community Needs Assessment in 2023 to identify and prioritize community needs, issues, and/or opportunities that UK the Cooperative Extension System could address through targeted educational programming and engagement efforts. “Support for substance use addiction prevention/recovery” was among the top 15 priority issues reported statewide. Undoubtedly Kentuckians have experienced incredible physical,
Author: Marsha Hagler
1 in 3 adults in the United States lives with a mental illness. Mental Health First Aid, from the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, is a skills-based training that teaches people how to identify, understand, and respond to signs and symptoms of a mental health or substance use challenge in adults ages 18 and over. The evidence behind the program demonstrates that it builds mental health literacy, providing an action plan that teaches people to safely and responsibly identify and addre
Author: Katherine Jury
Title: Providing Mental Health Resources to Rural KentuckiansRelevance: 1 in 3 adults in the United States lives with a mental illness; in Kentucky, 43% of adults report signs or symptoms of anxiety or depression across their lifespan. However, only about 1 in 4 of those individuals have sought professional mental health services. At the same time, suicide is the second leading cause of preventable death in Kentucky for individuals aged 10-34, and those over the age of 59. &nb
Author: Nan Montgomery
Suicide is a public health problem and a leading cause of death in the US. According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, suicide is the second leading cause of death in people ages 10-34 in Kentucky. However, suicide can be prevented with proper education and community resources. To raise awareness about suicide and mental health, a State Specialist at the University of Kentucky created a lesson on “Understanding Suicide.” This lesson was taught to Ohio County Hom
Author: Whitney Morrow
Coping with cumulative loss is distressing. These past few years have been upending for the many whose brains battled cognitive overload trying to process fear, anxiety, and uncertainty. The ongoing health and political crises have affected people’s mental health around the world. The effects will be long-lasting. Many people are suffering — some worse than others, depending on gender, personality, age, health, socioeconomic status, and race. Ongoing research shows that people are ex
Author: Kendyl Redding
The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) created a dissonance-based body acceptance intervention referred to as the Body Project. This intervention has been shown to effectively reduce body dissatisfaction, negative mood, unhealthy dieting, and disordered eating. There is further evidence that the Body Project intervention reduces the risk of future onset of eating disorders. The Powell County Family and Consumer Sciences Agent partnered with the Powell County Middle School pr
Author: Edith Lovett
Today we are finding out that Gardening is not only great for producing healthy vegetables, but it is also a valuable tool for our mental and physical state of mind. Vegetable gardening not only helps to provide us with fresh vegetables, but it also allows us to be outdoors, increases our self-esteem, relieves stress in our body, helps us to feel better and provides us a tool for using our motor skills through exercising, bending up and down. Our clients that were enrolled in
According to the 2022 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 7.3 million rural adults reported having a mental health challenge. Suicide rates in Kentucky and our nation have continued to rise since 2003. In general, Kentucky suicide mortality rates are 17% to 27% higher than those in the rest of our nation. People are dying by suicide more frequently in Kentucky. Due to these alarming statistics, the eight-county northern Kentucky area family and consumer sciences agents prov
Author: Chelsea Young
Author: Kenna Knight
Author: Cathy Sparks
The problemKentucky Mountain Bible Training Center relies totally on volunteers and donations from the community in order for their program to succeed. They contacted me to see if I could come and teach a one hour nutrition lesson for their clients at least twice a month.The educational program responseI have been teaching lessons for four months now, using SNAP recipes. This accomplishes their goal and assists me in acquiring my SNAP hours for the year. The clients look forward to t
Author: Kristi Shive
Quilts of Valor Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and other mental health issues are a reality for many veterans. The mission of Quilts of Valor Foundation is to cover Service Members and Veterans touched by war with comforting and healing Quits of Valor. Volunteers are depended on to make the quilts that are presented to the veterans through the foundation.The Warren County Homemaker’s Stitchers Club made four quilts to donate to the Quilts of Valor Foundation. Each quilt is worth appro
Author: Kate Thompson
Farmers and farmworkers consistently report high levels of stress associated with commodity production and rural living. The culmination of rural living, farm work, and stress is associated with elevated rates of suicide in farming occupations. The BARN: Farm Dinner Theater was developed as a strategy to address and explore the difficult topics of mental health and suicide within a rural community.UK Cooperative Extension agents from Northern Kentucky Counties recruited youth and adult participa
