Older adults in Gunnison County struggle with mental well-being

Loneliness tops several key factors in quality of life for seniors

[  by Toni M. Todd  ]

We often think of Gunnison County as a playground for the young or as a great place to raise children, but rarely does it pop up on lists of best places to retire. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the largest demographic here is 20-24-year-olds, thanks to Western Colorado University (Western), with an average age countywide of 37. But there’s another significant, yet unsung and under-supported group that’s having a huge impact on our county while also being impacted themselves by the unique challenges of life here. Twenty-seven percent of the county’s population is age 50 or over, with over half of that group 65 and over. For many of them, life in “paradise” isn’t always easy.

A recent, two-year study conducted by the Behavioral Science–Rural Community Health Graduate Program at Western, in collaboration with the Gunnison Senior Center, sought to understand these challenges and their impact on older residents in Gunnison County. The study, “Exploring Mental Health Among Older Adults in Gunnison County Following the Covid-19 Pandemic,” focused specifically on measuring the well-being of seniors in the years since the pandemic, and findings weren’t always pleasant. “We looked at needs and one of the major ones that popped out for older adults was mental health supports,” said Madison Gregurek, a graduate of the program and head researcher for the project. 

This made sense to the researchers, given the struggles seniors are having with mental health issues nationwide. The U.S. Center for Disease Control estimates that 20% of people 55 and older experience some type of mental health concern. 

The local study utilized a combination of surveys and individual interviews to gather information from local seniors. As the research progressed, researchers encountered some unique obstacles. The first, said Gunnison Senior Center director Elizabeth Gillis, was that the term “mental health” is problematic. While these words are commonly used and accepted by younger adults, they still carry a stigma for seniors. However, the stigma was not insurmountable. “There are many ways to address mental health without saying ‘mental health,’” said Gillis. 

Another challenge for the researchers was the deeply ingrained belief among both seniors and our broader society and culture that common manifestations of poor mental health are a natural part of the aging process. “Older adults were tending to normalize mental health issues,” said Gillis. Loneliness, anxiety, depression — these are often thought of as conditions that come with the turf of getting older. “They’re not,” she said. “That’s something we should be addressing as a community.” 

 

Challenges expand with age

“People can’t do the things they used to do,” said Gregurek. “It’s a tough environment to age in. It’s so cold. Even as a young person, some days I don’t want to go out of the house.” Gregurek said that depression in older adults can lead to physical symptoms not typically associated with mental health. “Things like digestive issues and headaches — these things you would normally associate with feeling sick, but they can stem from not feeling mentally well,” she said. 

 This gets to one of the core findings of the research. When asked how they would rate their overall mental health, 80% of respondents graded theirs as “excellent” or “very good.” Gregurek said that these initial answers on the survey were surprising, considering the national trend. “We looked at that and thought, ‘Well, maybe mental health isn’t such a huge problem for our seniors.’” 

When the survey questions moved from the general to the specific, however, the picture changed. A third of respondents indicated experiencing worsening anxiety/worry and depression/sadness since 2020, with nearly a quarter of them struggling to sleep. “We also found that older adults are more likely to see it as a regular part of life,” Gregurek said, which is why they didn’t consider these feelings in relation to their overall mental health. 

Gregurek said elders view the aging process as lonely and have come to believe that’s just how it is. “You lose a lot of people in your life. Your kids are busy, or you don’t have kids. They’re not your golden years; they’re years you endure. You survive but you’re not going to have a great quality of life,” she explained. Gregurek found this aspect of her research, “devastating to hear because we think that at any age you can have good quality of life. We found nationally that interventions for mental health, therapy, medication and things like that, have a similar high success rate for seniors as they do for younger people.”

 

Extreme cases can end with suicide

The normalization of poor mental health and the unaddressed feelings of anxiety, depression and loneliness are likely contributing to a grim statistic locally. Suicides have spiked in Gunnison County this year, with nine in just the first half of 2024. Six were over 50 and all but one were male. “Most of these folks were not terminally ill,” said Gillis, adding, “Why is it a tragedy when it’s someone who’s 40 or younger, but viewed differently with older people?” 

“Alcoholism is a theme. Loneliness is a theme. Health is a contributing factor, yes, but each case is unique,” said Gunnison County coroner Michael Barnes. “Financial issues might play into that, too.” Barnes acknowledged that drugs and alcohol were contributing factors in almost all suicides, across all age groups. Regarding older adults, however, he noted one theme prevailing more than others. “A good portion of them lived alone,” he said, often without a close network of friends. 

Barnes also referred to recent studies showing that high mountain communities tend to see more suicides than the per capita average. “A certain percentage rise in suicides is consistent with a rise in elevation,” he said. 

While there is still much to be done in support of local seniors, Gillis acknowledged improvement in recent years, as the county has increased its support. “We have come a long way through partnerships with various organizations throughout the valley.” Gillis said. 

Researchers were both surprised and pleased with the number of responses to their surveys and the number of respondents willing to participate in interviews. “They want to talk about their experiences,” said Gillis, “even though they don’t want to use the words, ‘mental health.’” Older people aren’t comfortable calling a therapist in a small town where you’re likely to run into that person at the market, Gillis added, but they are willing to discuss issues at the Senior Center. “We’ve established that this is a safe place and we do talk about hard topics here.” The research found that many seniors would come to a professionally facilitated support group at the Senior Center if given the opportunity. “I’m hoping that as we move forward we can work with community partners and find ways to fund professionals to come and meet the needs.

“I hear from seniors often that they, the ones who built this valley, are lower priority than younger people still in the workforce today,” she continued. Case in point, the recent survey sent out by the Gunnison County Regional Housing Authority. “The first question on the survey references workforce housing. Workforce. The first question,” she emphasized. Gillis explained that it’s short-sighted to think that the housing crisis only impacts people in the workforce and businesses struggling to hire. 

Elders need affordable shelter and have housing challenges, too. They may have owned their home for decades, but still can’t afford to sell it and downsize here in the valley due to the high cost of housing. Many also find it difficult to maintain their home on a fixed income, and some find their only choice is to sell and move to a cheaper community, far from family and friends. Others may be looking to rent but can’t find a place. “Sometimes, it’s financial,” said Gillis, echoing Barnes, as a major reason seniors experience anxiety or depression.

“The closing of the bridge was also huge for seniors,” she added. “I’ve heard of people who have had to find an apartment in another town (where they get medical treatment). Then, they’re alone, in a strange town, while they’re battling illness.” 

 

Finding ways to cope

As grim as the local mental health landscape seems, survey results did find some positive results regarding how seniors deal with their mental wellbeing. Some interviewees shared healthy habits for overcoming anxiety and loneliness, such as spending time with friends, family or others in the community, spending time in nature or exercising, reaching out to long-distance loved ones, reading, journaling or meditating. 

However, addressing the complexities of mental health isn’t always as simple as taking a walk. Gillis noted the meals program provided by the Senior Center, where lunch is served three days a week. For many, it’s their primary social encounter for the week and often the only time they see other people. There are also many in the community who, because of physical limitations, can’t come to the Senior Center for lunch, so the meals program delivers to those folks, much like Meals-on-Wheels. “The pandemic shed light on how widespread food insecurity is for our seniors,” said Gillis. She shared one story of a delivery driver who arrived at a senior’s residence and found the person had fallen and was badly injured. “Some pretty big disasters have been averted by the regular food delivery.”

Given the research findings, Gillis put forth three rhetorical questions as food for thought: “What is the value of life? Is it higher for the young? Are old people dispensable?” 

For information on mental health support, and on additional programs for seniors, contact the Gunnison Senior Center, 970-641-8272.