Approved Minutes of June 26, 2024

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MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH June 26, 2024 County to address heat. Ms. Stewart shared that Libbie Hough, Communications Manager, recently joined a task force to address heat as a public health issue. Ms. Hough shared that there are currently five cooling centers in Orange County, including the libraries, and that the task force is a joint effort between the Climate Sustainability Office, the County Public Information Office (PIO), Orange County Health Department, and Emergency Management. IV. Priority Committee Updates Behavioral Health Committee Dr. Baldwin shared that the committee had met two nights ago, and Jean Phillips-Weiner, Board of Health Strategic Plan Manager, had presented on several topics, including data for suicide and mental health provider demographics. He also observed that EMS calls related to suicide noticeably increased during the COVID pandemic. The committee had discussed possible areas for focus, honing in on two topics: 1. Increasing the number of mental health providers, especially diverse providers; and 2. Screen time, social media use and mental health. Dr. Baldwin noted that excessive screentime appears to be detrimental to young people's wellbeing and that there is a particular interest in focusing on school-aged children, as they are a `captive audience', and interventions could be put in place to limit smartphone and screen use during school hours. He added that, anecdotally, you'd expect a child to learn better when they're not on their phone all class. Commissioner Fowler added that the largest increase in suicide ideation appears to have occurred in adult males, but based on the data available, most mental health providers in Orange County are female, creating a mismatch. Dr. Crandell echoed that this mismatch concerns him and that he felt it could present a potential limit on culturally appropriate care. He shared that the committee attempted to consider suicide demographics by race, however, much of the data specific to Orange County was suppressed to preserve privacy, as the numbers are quite small. He added that as the committee digs into screentime, they plan to consider the equity impact of any initiatives or policies they may advocate for. Commissioner Fowler said that to help guide decision making, the committee reviewed the Vital Conditions Framework and the Health Impact Pyramid, which define the seven elements necessary for thriving and posit methods for impacting the largest number of people. She provided a quick overview of the elements of the Vital Conditions Framework. Dr. Stuebe expressed appreciation for the Vital Conditions Framework, saying that she previously worked on a paper applying it to maternal mental health. She added that the question of cultivating spaces for social belonging is interesting. Commissioner Fowler said the goal is to address screentime through a positive lens, focusing more on increasing engagement and mindfulness rather than taking a prohibitive `don't do it' approach. Mr. Whitaker commented that he recently read an article from The Atlantic saying that the evidence on screentime is not conclusive. He wondered if there was empirical data about the benefits or harms of screentime and social media, particularly any longitudinal Randomized Controlled Trials. Commissioner Fowler said that she is not sure if the data are there yet, as there's only been smartphones for about ten years, but the goal would not be to eradicate screentime, but to reduce it and supplement with healthier options —for example, physical activity or face-to-face socialization. She added, on a personal note, that she recently saw a patient who was clearly dealing with mental health issues that were being exacerbated by excessive screentime. S:\Managers Working Files\BOH\Agendas &Abstracts\2024 Agenda and Abstracts/ June Page 3