With the rainy weather tapering off to the dry summer season, many Mt. Hood residents are finally making their way outside to enjoy that long awaited vitamin D. As with the change in seasons so comes the change in mood for many residents. In the last ten years several psychologists and media outlets have placed spotlights on small mountain towns (similar to the Mt. Hood Villages) with regard to depression, suicide and suicide prevention.

According to a National Geographic article published in May of 2016, in spite of the desire and the lure to living in secluded mountain towns, many states such as Montana, Colorado, Utah and Idaho have become known as the “Suicide Belt.” National Geographic sat down with experts who suggested that there are many reasons mountain towns experience such high rates of suicide, among them “a culture of rugged individualism, lack of access to mental health care and isolation from community.”

Mental health counselors, those aspiring and those licensed in the Mt. Hood area, are very well connected to the culture of depression and the suicide rates in the area, and are working to find ways to help those within the community. “Depression, anxiety, and substance abuse appear to be our most prevalent mental illnesses. I think our community acts as a social bubble where people can feel stuck, hopeless, and unsure of how to get out of certain patterns,” said Lizzie Miller, a Masters student at Oregon State, who is studying to complete a degree in counseling. As a resident of the Mt. Hood Villages, Miller has seen first hand how the lack of mental health care in the community can cause a disturbing ripple effect. “Not having an accessible mental health facility in our community acts as a barrier to those who need support at their most vulnerable moments. The rise of Telehealth after 2020 has been instrumental in removing this barrier for small-town communities. However, having the option to see someone in person, who is local, is invaluable for certain individuals,” Miller said.

Licensed counselors Erika Dixon and Kimberly Holland share Miller’s sentiments when it comes to the gravity of the mental health crisis in small mountain towns such as Welches. “ In small communities, each individual has a huge impact, so when we lose someone there is a distinct ripple effect, leading to collective suffering,” Dixon said. Dixon also suggests that affordable housing and, generally, lack of housing due to the influx in vacation rentals also contributes to the depression plaguing mountain towns. “Our community’s hospitality and seasonal workers keep this community going, yet with limited access to affordable housing, the number of workers able to live where they work is dwindling. This leads to low staff availability, which forces employees to be overworked. Couple that with a rise in disgruntled guests and visitors, and you have a recipe for stress and overload,” Dixon said.

In an effort to give support to individuals living on the mountain who are feeling the effects of life in a vacation town, Dixon and Holland have created a meet-up group to give a voice to, and an outlet for, members of our community. Mountain Mutual Support was created in October of 2022 and part of the organization’s goal is to create a space for locals to connect and to process traumatic events in a safe environment, and to share in a confidential manner what troubles them. “The abundance of loss and grieving during the last few years is what brought us together. The effects of losing close friends, the watching and hearing about community members suffering through their grief, has been so palpable an observation that we felt it was time to put our skills and passions in action to help serve our community,” Holland said.

Although meetings are confidential, Dixon and Holland have seen a wide variety of topics covered arise. Depression, suicidal thoughts, family trauma and addiction are topics they discuss, and the facilitators simultaneously provide tools with which to manage such thoughts. “Fear of judgment often drives how we choose to present ourselves in the world, and that’s when denial and unhealthy coping can show up. Asking for help is hard, especially if you’re not feeling connected with your community,” Dixon said.
Miller, Dixon and Holland want community members to know there is help for those feeling the pressures of living on the mountain. Mountain Mutual Support’s meet-up times and locations, as well as information on other mental health groups and organizations, can be found on their Instagram page.
For emergency assistance: Crisis text line, text “hello” to 741-741, Clackamas county crisis and support line: 503-655-85856 and The National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 988.