Kansas State University
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Manhattan, KS 66506
Brad Dirks, M.Ed., PA-C is the Associate Director of the developing Physician Assistant Program and the K-State Research and Extension Behavioral Health Specialist at Kansas State University. Brad has been a PA for 40 years and has a Master’s in Education/Counseling.
For Brad, in one word word: Health means A STATE OF EMOTIONAL WELLBEING.
Learn more about K-State Research and Extension at https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/
Other than the word unprecedented, the word that has stuck out to me this past year is the word isolation. What an incredible paradox that we can live in a family, a community, and a country with large numbers of people surrounding us yet feel so alone! In a time of increased connectivity with our exploding technology, we still experience isolation and loneliness.
The word isolation has a different meaning to each of us. Some of us choose to live (and feel more comfortable) alone yet for most humanoids, isolation is often equivalent to loneliness – the experience of which can be painful. Isolation comes in various forms, but it helps me to think of it in two general categories. We can be socially (physical/geographical) or emotionally (feelings) isolated, or both.
Occupations such as farming, driving truck, or working from home (and a myriad of others) all have varying degrees of physical isolation built into a daily routine. Many other factors including long-term disability, loss of hearing, lack of transportation, and financial struggles contribute to minimizing physical contact with others.
Emotional isolation is a subjective feeling and may not be dependent on physical proximity to others. We can feel isolated in a large crowd or lonely in a small intimate family gathering. That experience of isolation is unique to each of us. We have different needs, expectations and understandings of the world around us, so my experience and understanding of loneliness will be different from yours. This feeling can be experienced as sadness, hopelessness, emptiness, and feelings of loss or just “feeling alone.” There is a real sense that “no one understands what I am going through” or “they really don’t care.” These feelings certainly can be overwhelming and paradoxically, when we see others socially connected and enjoying human interaction, it may further heighten the feelings of isolation. There have been multiple studies that identify the connection between isolation and loneliness with a negative impact on physical health. This includes (but is not limited to) being at higher risk for coronary disease and stroke and is associated with a significant increase in the risk for dementia.
We know that the stress and isolation associated with COVID-19 has taken a toll on the emotional health of every culture and people group and even more so with individuals who are in high-risk groups as previously described. I would like to further identify two specific groups of at-risk individuals. Adolescents and the elderly have particularly experienced worsening isolation and loneliness in this time of COVID-19. Teens who normally have an active social life have been limited in their social contact and older folks who are inherently limited in their ability to be physically active have experienced even worsening isolation. Hopefully with some loosening of the current restrictions these two segments of the population will experience improved social contact. Until then, we can continue to encourage them to participate in relaxing activities, eat healthy foods, practice good sleep hygiene, and spend time with positive like-minded individuals.
Identify signs and symptoms in individuals who may be experiencing significant isolation:
Ways to manage your feelings of isolation:
In this unique time in human history, it is more important than ever that in a world focused on things, viruses, and politics, we focus on each other! Health means…increasing the proportion of primary care visits where adolescents and adults are screened for depression.
Contributor: Brad Dirks
Erin Yelland, Ph.D., CFLE, is an associate professor and extension specialist in the Department of Applied Human Sciences. Erin studies the social determinants of health, particularly within the context of health, well-being, and healthy aging.
For Erin, in one word word: Health means EQUITY.
Learn more about K-State Research and Extension adult development and aging programs at https://www.aging.k-state.edu/
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the social determinants of health (SDOH) are the non-medical factors that influence health outcomes. “They are the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age, and the wider set of forces and systems shaping the conditions of daily life”.
Point 1: The entire world around you – near and far, big and small – affects your ability to be healthy.
Next, consider this series of questions about each of the stages of life mentioned by the WHO. These questions can help you: 1) more clearly understand what a social determinant is, 2) recognize the positive and negative determinants in your own life, and 3) think about others’ determinants, especially those who are not as privileged as yourself. Before you read on, keep in mind that this is not an exhaustive list and the issues represented in the following questions only represent some of the SDOH.
Point 2: The more positive things in your life and environment, the healthier you can be.
Sounds easy, right? Let’s tell everyone to swap their cheeseburger for a salad and we’ll be on our way to a health revolution! Well…no.
The reality is that no one can 100% control their health outcomes. And many individuals will never be able to check the boxes that bode well as social determinants because they, as an individual, simply cannot change them. It takes all of us – individually and systemically. Racism, poverty, social injustices, and accessibility are uncomfortable, complex, and wicked issues, but they’re not going anywhere. And it’s high time we embrace the uncomfortable, complex, and wicked.
Point 3: We can no longer ignore racism, poverty, social injustices, and accessibility. These are the major issues influencing our ability to be healthy and well, and nothing will change unless we all do.
Health means…increasing the proportion of children living with at least one employed parent year round, full time.
Contributor: Erin Yelland
Many of us would probably agree that the development and administration of the COVID-19 vaccines have led to a much needed “re-awakening” across the nation. Coast-to-coast, people completing their COVID-19 vaccinations are re-energized, and re-connecting. A large number are getting back to their former lives; breathing a sigh of relief and putting this phase of their lived experience far behind them. Many think, “Good riddance!” For these folks, it’s likely that their perspective has been that the pandemic constrained their lives and the sooner it’s over the better. Their facemasks are now stuffed in the glovebox of their car to gather dust.
However, for a majority, the vaccinations, though welcome, are a benchmark for a life that will never be the same. The struggle, loss, and uncertainty associated with the coronavirus is etched in their memories and has become part of their identities. It has not only impacted family and friends, but it has changed the overall health of the nation with many researchers contending that overall life expectancy has been reduced by a year as a result. People of color and those lacking access to health care are the hardest hit. Viewing the pandemic through different perspectives was the focus of a study conducted by a team from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. In recently published articles, the study revealed how personal views and perspectives about the pandemic affected mask wearing and other health behaviors in rural areas. Koon, et. al (2021) identified four frames or perspectives that people used to make sense of the coronavirus: concern, crisis, constraint and conspiracy. Each perspective resulted in different behaviors and choices that could explain why some have been hesitant to get vaccinated. The researchers are now using their results to design targeted outreach efforts that will frame vaccination communication and other necessary responses to the pandemic.
In the meantime, the “long-haulers”, those 10%-30% of people who continue to have prolonged symptoms months after contracting the coronavirus, are likely to have a different perspective. They continue to live with symptoms that the National Institutes of Health will spend more than $1.1 billion over four years to study with the hope of discovering some answers. Recently, some long-haulers have reported having some relief of symptoms after having gotten COVID-19 vaccinations (The Washington Post; March 16, 2021). Still, there is just not enough known about the virus and its long-term impacts on individuals or on populations. It’s the long-haulers who might teach us the most about a perspective of compassion as the pandemic runs its course. Maybe we can all benefit from compassion for those who continue to acquire the disease, those who cope with its impacts, and for all who have lived through it.
Health means…increasing the capacity of the primary care and behavioral health workforce to deliver high quality, timely, and accessible patient-centered care.
Contributor: Elaine Johannes (ejohanne@ksu.edu)
Elaine Johannes, Ph.D., is the Kansas Health Foundation Distinguished Professor in Community Health and an extension specialist in the Department of Applied Human Sciences. Elaine’s applied research and practice focus on resilience and well-being among families in poverty, adolescent health, and community engagement.
For Elaine, in one word: Health means TRUST.
Learn more about K-State Research and Extension family and child development programs at https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/families
During the past several weeks, I’ve been able to volunteer at some of Riley County’s COVID-19 testing and vaccination clinics. What a great experience! 
During these community events I’ve learned about trust. So, I think that Health Means – TRUST.
While serving as a volunteer during coronavirus testing drives I saw examples of trust – one after another. I saw health professionals put their trust in the personal protective equipment (PPE) they used to protect themselves while nasal-swabbing over 300 first responders and health providers. I admired the trust that the fire fighters and police officers had for the gentle care of health department nurses when they collected each important sample. I also saw the trust that the county’s elected officials had for the local journalists when they reported on the successes of the testing events held in smaller towns in the rural parts of the county.
Then, when the vaccine became available the trust that older adults, their care providers and health- compromised citizens put in the efficacy of the vaccine was inspiring. While volunteering in the post-vaccination waiting area, I heard several who had received their vaccination admit that they decided to be vaccinated because of the trust they put in their family, friends, and doctors who trusted the science behind the vaccine. Following the encouragement of those they knew and respected, the recipients learned about the science that resulted in the trusted vaccine.
That trust is well-deserved. According to a March 18 presentation by Dr. Barney Graham, deputy director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Vaccine Research Center at the National Institutes of Health, and a Kansan who has been called the “father of the COVID-19 vaccine,” the science was already underway to produce the vaccine before the need arrived. For nearly seven years, studies of 26 different viruses had been in progress, and with the infusion of much-needed funding for additional studies, equipment and personnel the pace of vaccine development was quickened. Trust in the laboratory teams, in the innovative public-private partnerships that “cut red-tape and not corners,” and in the scientific process resulted in the relief and tears of gratitude I witnessed while serving at the vaccination clinics. Dr. Graham provided insights into the development of the vaccine and explained why some may initially be hesitant to have a vaccination when it becomes available to them. His remarks answered questions and built trust throughout the state, and are available at: https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/covid-19-resources/covid-19-vaccine-webinar.html
It was Booker T. Washington who said “Few things can help an individual more than to place responsibility on him, and to let him know that you trust him. “ I’ll offer this slight modification that there are few things that can be more helpful than to have trust in each other.
Every year in the United States, many people get diseases that vaccines can prevent. Health means…preventing infectious diseases by increasing vaccination rates.
Contributor: Elaine Johannes (ejohanne@ksu.edu)
Bradford Wiles, Ph.D., is an associate professor and extension specialist in the Department of Applied Human Sciences who studies health and resilience in families with young children.
For Bradford, in one word: Health means EQUITY.
Learn more about K-State Research and Extension family and child development programs at https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/families
Access to quality, affordable child care may not seem like the most intuitive element of health. However, I ask you to stop and think about how often you have personally experienced at least one of the following situations: a) You or your co-workers have left a meeting to care for young children, b) You or your co-workers had children in meetings because of children’s needs, c) You or your co-workers reduced or lacked productivity because of simultaneously caring for children, and d) you or a colleague were absent from work because of child care needs. As you consider the above scenarios, I ask you to think about how much they affected your individual, family, community, and employer’s efficiency and psychological/emotional health.
The American Rescue Plan, the current proposed plan to help Americans suffering during the Covid-19 pandemic, provides approximately $40 billion to states via the Child Care and Development Block Grant program (CCDBG). It contains $15 billion to expand the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) and $25 billion to stabilize the business of child care, a sector shattered by the pandemic. Upon passage of the plan, the state of Kansas is expected to receive approximately $134 million in CCDBG funds and $214 million for stabilization and enhancement funds, for a total of $348 million.
This could be a turning point for child care in Kansas. For child-care providers, Covid-19 has led to enrollment declines, increased costs to operate, and myriad staffing challenges. For many, it has meant closing the doors and folding the business. These stabilization funds proposed to soften the pandemic’s ongoing effects represent desperately needed action. However, it is essential to recognize that returning to a pre-coronavirus baseline would not be nearly enough to create stability for childcare businesses and capacity adequately supporting children, families, and communities. Revisiting how we fund child care in the U.S. could improve the health and well being of all families given the reduced stress, increases in productivity, and economic benefits that quality, affordable child care brings. Health means…increasing the proportion of children who participate in high-quality early childhood education programs.
Contributor: Bradford Wiles
Sandy Procter, Ph.D., RD/LD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Food, Nutrition, Dietetics, and Health and state specialist for nutrition and health.
For Sandy, in one word: Health means ACCESS.
Learn more about K-State Research and Extension at https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/
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