A national report on the state of mental health in the United States indicates that Kansas has made significant progress – moving from 51st in the 2022 rankings – essentially last among all 50 states and the District of Columbia – to 22nd in the 2024 rankings. Elaine Johannes, the Kansas Health Foundation’s Distinguished Professor of Community Health at Kansas State University, says there are a number of reasons for the state’s jump in the rankings, including policy changes by the Kansas legislature that opened up better access to mental health care and resiliency among the people of Kansas.

Sound Living is a weekly public affairs program addressing issues related to families and consumers. It is hosted by Jeff Wichman. Each episode shares the expertise of K-State specialists in fields such as child nutrition, food safety, adult development and aging, youth development, family resource management, physical fitness and more.

Send comments, questions or requests for copies of past programs to ksrenews@ksu.edu.

K‑State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well‑being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K‑State campus in Manhattan.