A new poll by Colorado's leading healthcare group finds that medical costs, drug overdoses and mental health remain the top issues for Colorado residents.
But other issues outweighed health concerns.
Nearly nine in 10 Coloradans rate rising housing prices (89%) and the rising cost of living (86%) as “very serious” problems, according to a 2024 Colorado Health Foundation Pulse Poll. Most (79%) also rate homelessness as a serious issue.
A nonpartisan research team collected responses from more than 2,400 Coloradans between May 20 and June 24 of this year. This is the poll's fifth year.
Coloradans also said other issues were extremely or very serious: 59% viewed crime in general that way, and similar shares saw jobs and the economy (57%) and illegal immigration (53%) as their top concerns.
Sixty-eight percent said health care costs are a serious problem, and most Coloradans said the same about drug overdoses (65%) and mental health (59%).
A poll by national charity CHF found that the overall rating of people who consider mental health to be a serious concern has fallen by 10 percentage points since last year, but the proportion who think it is a serious problem (27 percent) has remained unchanged.
If you need help, contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988. You can also contact the Colorado Crisis Services Hotline at 1-844-493-8255 or text “TALK” to 38255 to speak with a trained counselor or professional. Counselors are available at walk-in locations or to chat with you online.
Among those facing mental health burdens, more than four in 10 reported putting off mental health care in the past year, a “notable increase” from the 27% who said they put off mental health care in the 2023 survey.
These Coloradans are more likely to feel psychological stress and delay treatment.
Demographic groups most likely to postpone mental health care included those on their parents' insurance (55%), Native Americans (48%), those who are uninsured (46%), LGBTQ people (45%), and 18-29 year olds (42%).
Demographic groups who reported delaying mental health care included people working part-time, women ages 18-49, people in other occupations, Medicaid recipients, people who are unemployed or laid off, people renting their home from friends or family, Democrats ages 18-49, people renting their home from a large employer, and people in households with four or more people.
“Mental health may not be as high a concern for Coloradans this year, given the plethora of other issues that demand their attention, but the data shows that mental health remains a widespread challenge,” said Dave Metz, Democratic pollster for Pulse and president of FM3 Research.
“Three in five Coloradans (59%) report experiencing a mental health burden in the past year, a slight increase from 2023, and more than a quarter say they have put off mental health care,” Metz said in a Colorado Health Foundation press release. “But this year's survey also found some agreement on potential solutions: A clear majority would like to see steps taken to make it easier to get mental health care covered by health insurance.”
Data shows that mental health and the stress of isolation remain major factors across a range of demographics.
Respondents were asked about the most important action that could improve mental health and care in their state, with four in 10 saying “improving the ability to use health insurance to pay for mental health services.”
About 20% responded that they would “increase government funding and resources for local mental health services and facilities.”
Nearly the same percentage said they would increase government funding and resources for preventive mental health programs and services in their communities.
