Social Cohesion
Social cohesion encompasses personal relationships with family, friends, and coworkers and the sense of community solidarity and belonging. Social cohesion is a uniquely valuable source of mental and emotional support, growing resilience, and protection against social isolation and loneliness.
Socially isolated individuals have increased risk for poor health outcomes.
Source: County Health Rankings & Roadmaps
Most residents in Mesa County feel there is a positive sense of community. In the 2022 Master Plan survey, 55% of respondents rated the local sense of community as good or excellent. Friendliness of people and sense of community were in the top five attributes that respondents liked about living in Mesa County.
In the 2022 Tell Us Community Survey, residents provided novel insights into the prevalence and nature of personal relationships in the community. County- wide, 65% of residents reported meeting with their family at least several times per month, and 77% of residents had three or more regularly contacted friends.
92% of Mesa County residents have close connections with friends or family.
Feeling close to neighbors improves residents’ rating of Mesa County as a place to live.
While residents are commonly well connected to friends and family, they are less likely to agree to feeling connected to their neighbors. Only 39% of residents agreed they feel close to people in the area where they live.
A close connection with neighbors had a significant, positive effect on whether residents felt Mesa County is a good place to live. Among those who felt close to people in their neighborhood, 81% agreed that Mesa County is a good place to live, compared to 51% among those who didn’t have as close of a connection with their neighbors.
MESA COUNTY IS A GOOD PLACE TO LIVE. BY CLOSE CONNECTION TO NEIGHBORS (2022)
Having close relationships with family and friends and a sense of community belonging help to protect against social isolation and loneliness, risk factors for both mental and physical health.
Among adults in Mesa County, only 8% reported little connection with family, friends, or neighbors. This small, but notable, share of the community is likely at a higher risk for the negative health outcomes of social isolation.
Residents with a household income less than $50,000 were more likely to fall into this group at 12%, compared to only 5% among residents with higher incomes. The struggle for social cohesion among low-income households poses an opportunity for social support programs to help fill the gap.
Veterans and older adults are two groups who are broadly known to be at a higher risk for social isolation nationwide. Mesa County veterans and older adults did not show less connection to family and friends in local data.
The Clifton Community Campus seeks to address a number of resource and service needs in the Clifton community.
Clifton currently lacks gathering spaces for families and community members to engage and build resilient connections. The full campus opened in summer of 2024. Between the community hall and library facilities, Clifton will have additional infrastructure for social activities, civic engagement, and family-friendly training.
In the future, Mesa County is exploring opportunities to connect the campus to the rest of the Clifton community with additional transportation infrastructure.
Clifton Community Campus
Social Cohesion among Youth
Social cohesion among youth is a strong protective factor against many negative and risky health behaviors. High school students have fewer mental health challenges and engage less in high-risk substance use when they have stronger social connections. For more information about youth risk and protective factors, see Substance Use: High School Students section in Health Behaviors.
In 2021, Mesa County high school students participated in the Healthy Kids Colorado Survey. They answered questions related to their relationships with their parents, friends, and peers. The great majority of students reported regular chances for family fun and a high level of confidence they can turn to their parents for help.
77% of high school students have lots of chances for fun with their parents.
82% of high school students feel they can ask their parents for help with a personal problem.
STUDENT SEXUAL ORIENTATION A little over half of students indicated having positive friend relationships.
- 58% felt a sense of belonging at their school, and
- 53% were able to talk to a friend about their feelings always or most of the time.
Students who said they were able to rely on a friend for emotional support were far more likely to also feel a sense of belonging at their school.
STUDENTS WHO HAVE SENSE OF BELONGING AT THEIR SCHOOL (2021)
Source: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Healthy Kids Colorado Survey 2021
While strong, supportive relationships at school provide a protective factor, peer interactions are not always positive. Bullying, teasing, and name calling can have a deep and lasting impact on student mental health.
In 2021, 1 in 10 students reported having been bullied, both in-person at school and electronically through texting or social media. Nearly a third had been teased or called names.
LGBTQ+ Community
In recent years, data on the LBGTQ+ community has been growing, though there are still notable gaps in timely and local or regional survey data. As a result, we report the results of the 2018 Closing the Gap survey even though we typically rely on more timely sources.
One Colorado’s 2018 Survey, “Closing the Gap: The Turning Point for LGBTQ+ Health,” asked questions about social isolation among LGBTQ+ adults in Colorado.
25% of respondents indicated they often experienced a lack of companionship, and 23% often felt isolated from others. This social isolation put them at risk of worse physical and mental health outcomes.
In fact, the non-heterosexual respondents were three times as likely to report suicidal ideation as the overall U.S. population, and the transgender respondents were seven times more likely.
Nearly two-thirds of Colorado LGBTQ+ respondents had experienced verbal harassment motivated by homophobia or transphobia.
One in four Colorado LGBTQ+ respondents often lacked companionship or felt isolated.
In fact, the non-heterosexual respondents were three times as likely to report suicidal ideation as the overall U.S. population, and the transgender respondents were seven times more likely.
The Center, run by Loving Beyond Understanding, is a collaborative, drop-in community resource hub and meeting space for all queer, trans, and non-binary people. The Center’s goal is to promote a sense of belonging and connectivity in the Mesa County LGBTQ+ community.
The Center opened in 2023 and currently hosts eight community groups such as teen groups, older adult groups, art and book clubs, and parenting groups.
The Center also features a library, a meeting room, and several informal gathering spaces. Security is provided to maintain the safety of staff and visitors.
LGBTQ+ Youth
In the 2021 Healthy Kids Colorado survey, 254 Mesa County students identified as LGBTQ+, 24.5% of respondents. 739 identified as cisgender and heterosexual, 70.8% of respondents. For more information about student demographics, see the Education section Pre-K through 12th Grade Student Demographics
STUDENT SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTIFICATION (2021)
Source: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Healthy Kids Colorado Survey 2021
43% of LGBTQ+ youth reported they could talk to a friend about their feelings compared to 57% of their peers. This is an important proxy for the concept of “found family” for LGBTQ+ youth who don’t feel safe or accepted in their families of origin.
STUDENT REPORED THEY COULD TALK TO A FRIEND ABOUT THEIR FEELINGS
Source: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Healthy Kids Colorado Survey 2021
43% of LGBTQ+ youth reported feeling a sense of belonging at school compared to 64% of their peers. With more data in the future, we’ll be able to assess the impact of family support, friends or found family, and belonging at school on LGBTQ+ youth mental health and other outcomes.
STUDENT REPORED FEELING A SENSE OF BELONGING AT SCHOOL
Source: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Healthy Kids Colorado Survey 2021
LGBTQ+ youth were less than half as likely to report that they could ask their parents for help with a personal problem. 35% of LGBTQ+ youth indicated that family rules are clear compared to 64% of their peers.
STUDENT COULD ASK THEIR PARENTS FOR HELP WITH A PERSONAL PROBLEM
Source: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Healthy Kids Colorado Survey 2021
STUDENT REPORT THAT FAMILY RULES ARE CLEAR
Source: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Healthy Kids Colorado Survey 2021
27% of LGBTQ+ youth reported chances for family fun, compared to 42% of their peers. LGBTQ+ youth were equally likely to participate in extracurricular activities as their peers.
STUDENT REPORTED CHANCES FOR FAMILY FUN
Source: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Healthy Kids Colorado Survey 2021
STUDENT WHO PARTICIPATE IN EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
Source: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Healthy Kids Colorado Survey 2021
LGBTQ+ youth were more than twice as likely to report being bullied at school and online.
STUDENT REPOREDT BEING BULLIED AT SCHOOL
Source: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Healthy Kids Colorado Survey 2021
STUDENT REPORED BEING BULLIED AT ONLINE
Source: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Healthy Kids Colorado Survey 2021
All four of the main high schools in Mesa County Valley School District 51 allow students to operate a GSA club, which can mean Gender and Sexuality Alliance Club or Gay-Straight Alliance.
According to participating students, the groups receive different levels of institutional and staff support. The most successful groups have an invested staff advisor who champions the group’s activities and understands school logistics. At schools where the groups are primarily student organized, the groups often cease when a motivated student graduates and have to be restarted.
GSAs contribute to the sense of belonging at school for LGBTQ+ students and result in stronger social networks among students. The 2024 U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People found that students who attended schools with affirming policies were less likely to have attempted suicide in the past year.
Civic Participation
According to Healthy People 2030, civic participation encompasses a wide range of formal and informal activities such as
- voting,
- volunteering,
- participating in group activities, and
- community gardening.
Resident Trust in Local Institutions
Growing civic participation in a community often depends on first building trust in local institutions. Nationally, there has been a decades-long decrease in Americans’ faith in a wide variety of U.S. institutions, with the overall average reaching a historic low in 2023. According to recent Gallup data, an average of only 26% of U.S. adults reported having a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in various major institutions.
While a general institutional distrust has become common, local institutions have the advantage of proximity to their community in facilitating efforts to build trust. From the 2022 Tell Us Community Survey, the majority of Mesa County residents reported personally trusting local law enforcement. Fewer residents indicated personally trusting local government officials.
In the 2022 Master Plan survey, 36% of residents felt that the overall direction that Mesa County government is taking was good or excellent.
Resident satisfaction with the progress of local government was highly correlated with resident satisfaction with quality of life in Mesa County. Among those who rated quality of life more highly, 49% felt the overall direction of Mesa County government was good or excellent. Among those who rated quality of life poorly, only 8% felt the overall direction was good or excellent.
TRUST OR FAITH IN GOVERNMENT (2022 and 2023)
Source: GALLUP POLLS, 2023
RESIDENTS WHO AGREE OVERALL DIRECTION OF MESA COUNTY GOVERNMENT IS GOOD BY QUALITY OF LIFE (2022)
Community Engagement
To build community trust, institutions can offer opportunities for resident feedback and prioritize transparency in showing how that feedback is implemented. In the 2022 Tell Us Community Survey, only 19% of residents agreed they have a voice in identifying areas for improvement in the community. 29% agreed there are opportunities for meaningful community engagement.
“If your community is your mission and their progress is your vision, then you need to listen to what they’re asking for.”
-County Health Rankings & Roadmaps
West Slope Youth Voice is a non-partisan, student-led program of the Western Colorado Alliance for Community Action. They encourage civic engagement in students through peer to peer organizing and voter registration, since Colorado encourages pre-registration starting at age 16.
West Slope Youth Voice is a non-partisan, student-led program of the Western Colorado Alliance for Community Action. They encourage civic engagement in students through peer to peer organizing and voter registration, since Colorado encourages pre-registration starting at age 16. The 2022 West Slope Youth Issues Report shares the results of a student developed survey given to Western Slope students. The survey identified the following top priorities for legislative advocacy:
- feeling safe in school,
- mental health and support, and
- feeling safe in the community
Election Participation
Since Colorado has voter registration available at the time a resident applies for a driver’s license, voter registration rates are high across the state, including Mesa County. As of May 1, 2024, Mesa County has 109,664 active registered voters. This represents 88.9% of the voting age population as measured by the 2022 Census American Community Survey.
Voter turnout in Mesa County varies, as expected, based on the perceived importance of the election. Generally, Mesa County turnout is similar or higher than Colorado turnout.
| 2024 - Presidential Primary Election |
46.1% |
38.7% |
| 2022 - General Election (Midterm) |
69.6% |
66.3% |
| 2020 - General Election |
85.4% |
86.9% |
Source: Colorado Secretary Of State, Election Results
Volunteering
Volunteering offers benefits both to the recipient and the volunteer. Studies have shown that volunteering promotes more positive emotional health, and might be especially beneficial for older adults. A study of adults age 60 and older found that volunteers had a lower risk of cognitive impairment.
Participating in volunteer activities is fairly common among Mesa County residents. Rates of volunteering in the past month by age group are as follows: * 28% of high school students * 45% of adults age 18 to 59 * 42% of adults over 60
High school students were more likely to have participated in volunteer activities if they also participated in extracurricular activities. Among those who participated in activities such as sports, band, drama, clubs, or student government, 40% had also volunteered at least once in the past month. In contrast, 12% of those who didn’t participate in extracurricular activities had volunteered.
Participation both in volunteering activities and in extracurricular activities dropped significantly among high school students from 2019 to 2021. This may be a consequence of the disruption of student life by COVID-19. Given the positive impact these activities have on student health and wellness, promoting an increase in participation should be a priority going forward.
HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT PARTICIPATION IN EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES AND VOLUNTEERING IN MESA COUNTY
HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT PARTICIPATION IN EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES AND VOLUNTEERING IN MESA COUNTY
| 2017 |
69.6 |
42.3 |
| 2019 |
69.2 |
39.7 |
| 2021 |
55.0 |
27.5 |
[Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Healthy People 2030. Social Cohesion. Accessed 2024
Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Healthy People 2030, Civic Participation Accessed 2024
Mesa County. Mesa County Master Plan Survey. 2022. Data Request.
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Healthy Kids Colorado Survey. Data Request.
Loving Beyond Understanding. Interview - Andi Tillman, May 1, 2024
[Western Colorado Alliance for Community Action. 2022 West Slope Youth Voice Issues Report](https://westerncoloradoalliance.org/campaigns/grassroots-democracy/west-slope-youth-voice/
Infurna, F. J., Okun, M. A., & Grimm, K. J. (2016). Volunteering is associated with lower risk of cognitive impairment. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 64(11), 2263–2269.
Mission and Progress
West Slope Youth Voice
Social Cohesion
Social cohesion encompasses personal relationships with family, friends, and coworkers and the sense of community solidarity and belonging. Social cohesion is a uniquely valuable source of mental and emotional support, growing resilience, and protection against social isolation and loneliness.
Socially isolated individuals have increased risk for poor health outcomes.
Most residents in Mesa County feel there is a positive sense of community. In the 2022 Master Plan survey, 55% of respondents rated the local sense of community as good or excellent. Friendliness of people and sense of community were in the top five attributes that respondents liked about living in Mesa County.
In the 2022 Tell Us Community Survey, residents provided novel insights into the prevalence and nature of personal relationships in the community. County- wide, 65% of residents reported meeting with their family at least several times per month, and 77% of residents had three or more regularly contacted friends.
92% of Mesa County residents have close connections with friends or family.
Feeling close to neighbors improves residents’ rating of Mesa County as a place to live.
While residents are commonly well connected to friends and family, they are less likely to agree to feeling connected to their neighbors. Only 39% of residents agreed they feel close to people in the area where they live.
A close connection with neighbors had a significant, positive effect on whether residents felt Mesa County is a good place to live. Among those who felt close to people in their neighborhood, 81% agreed that Mesa County is a good place to live, compared to 51% among those who didn’t have as close of a connection with their neighbors.
MESA COUNTY IS A GOOD PLACE TO LIVE. BY CLOSE CONNECTION TO NEIGHBORS (2022)
Having close relationships with family and friends and a sense of community belonging help to protect against social isolation and loneliness, risk factors for both mental and physical health.
Among adults in Mesa County, only 8% reported little connection with family, friends, or neighbors. This small, but notable, share of the community is likely at a higher risk for the negative health outcomes of social isolation.
Residents with a household income less than $50,000 were more likely to fall into this group at 12%, compared to only 5% among residents with higher incomes. The struggle for social cohesion among low-income households poses an opportunity for social support programs to help fill the gap.
Veterans and older adults are two groups who are broadly known to be at a higher risk for social isolation nationwide. Mesa County veterans and older adults did not show less connection to family and friends in local data.
The Clifton Community Campus seeks to address a number of resource and service needs in the Clifton community.
Clifton currently lacks gathering spaces for families and community members to engage and build resilient connections. The full campus opened in summer of 2024. Between the community hall and library facilities, Clifton will have additional infrastructure for social activities, civic engagement, and family-friendly training.
In the future, Mesa County is exploring opportunities to connect the campus to the rest of the Clifton community with additional transportation infrastructure.
Social Cohesion among Youth
Social cohesion among youth is a strong protective factor against many negative and risky health behaviors. High school students have fewer mental health challenges and engage less in high-risk substance use when they have stronger social connections. For more information about youth risk and protective factors, see Substance Use: High School Students section in Health Behaviors.
In 2021, Mesa County high school students participated in the Healthy Kids Colorado Survey. They answered questions related to their relationships with their parents, friends, and peers. The great majority of students reported regular chances for family fun and a high level of confidence they can turn to their parents for help.
77% of high school students have lots of chances for fun with their parents.
82% of high school students feel they can ask their parents for help with a personal problem.
STUDENT SEXUAL ORIENTATION A little over half of students indicated having positive friend relationships.
Students who said they were able to rely on a friend for emotional support were far more likely to also feel a sense of belonging at their school.
STUDENTS WHO HAVE SENSE OF BELONGING AT THEIR SCHOOL (2021)
While strong, supportive relationships at school provide a protective factor, peer interactions are not always positive. Bullying, teasing, and name calling can have a deep and lasting impact on student mental health.
In 2021, 1 in 10 students reported having been bullied, both in-person at school and electronically through texting or social media. Nearly a third had been teased or called names.
LGBTQ+ Community
In recent years, data on the LBGTQ+ community has been growing, though there are still notable gaps in timely and local or regional survey data. As a result, we report the results of the 2018 Closing the Gap survey even though we typically rely on more timely sources.
One Colorado’s 2018 Survey, “Closing the Gap: The Turning Point for LGBTQ+ Health,” asked questions about social isolation among LGBTQ+ adults in Colorado.
25% of respondents indicated they often experienced a lack of companionship, and 23% often felt isolated from others. This social isolation put them at risk of worse physical and mental health outcomes.
In fact, the non-heterosexual respondents were three times as likely to report suicidal ideation as the overall U.S. population, and the transgender respondents were seven times more likely.
Nearly two-thirds of Colorado LGBTQ+ respondents had experienced verbal harassment motivated by homophobia or transphobia.
One in four Colorado LGBTQ+ respondents often lacked companionship or felt isolated.
In fact, the non-heterosexual respondents were three times as likely to report suicidal ideation as the overall U.S. population, and the transgender respondents were seven times more likely.
The Center, run by Loving Beyond Understanding, is a collaborative, drop-in community resource hub and meeting space for all queer, trans, and non-binary people. The Center’s goal is to promote a sense of belonging and connectivity in the Mesa County LGBTQ+ community.
The Center opened in 2023 and currently hosts eight community groups such as teen groups, older adult groups, art and book clubs, and parenting groups.
The Center also features a library, a meeting room, and several informal gathering spaces. Security is provided to maintain the safety of staff and visitors.
LGBTQ+ Youth
In the 2021 Healthy Kids Colorado survey, 254 Mesa County students identified as LGBTQ+, 24.5% of respondents. 739 identified as cisgender and heterosexual, 70.8% of respondents. For more information about student demographics, see the Education section Pre-K through 12th Grade Student Demographics
STUDENT SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTIFICATION (2021)
43% of LGBTQ+ youth reported they could talk to a friend about their feelings compared to 57% of their peers. This is an important proxy for the concept of “found family” for LGBTQ+ youth who don’t feel safe or accepted in their families of origin.
STUDENT REPORED THEY COULD TALK TO A FRIEND ABOUT THEIR FEELINGS
43% of LGBTQ+ youth reported feeling a sense of belonging at school compared to 64% of their peers. With more data in the future, we’ll be able to assess the impact of family support, friends or found family, and belonging at school on LGBTQ+ youth mental health and other outcomes.
STUDENT REPORED FEELING A SENSE OF BELONGING AT SCHOOL
LGBTQ+ youth were less than half as likely to report that they could ask their parents for help with a personal problem. 35% of LGBTQ+ youth indicated that family rules are clear compared to 64% of their peers.
STUDENT COULD ASK THEIR PARENTS FOR HELP WITH A PERSONAL PROBLEM
STUDENT REPORT THAT FAMILY RULES ARE CLEAR
27% of LGBTQ+ youth reported chances for family fun, compared to 42% of their peers. LGBTQ+ youth were equally likely to participate in extracurricular activities as their peers.
STUDENT REPORTED CHANCES FOR FAMILY FUN
STUDENT WHO PARTICIPATE IN EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
LGBTQ+ youth were more than twice as likely to report being bullied at school and online.
STUDENT REPOREDT BEING BULLIED AT SCHOOL
STUDENT REPORED BEING BULLIED AT ONLINE
All four of the main high schools in Mesa County Valley School District 51 allow students to operate a GSA club, which can mean Gender and Sexuality Alliance Club or Gay-Straight Alliance.
According to participating students, the groups receive different levels of institutional and staff support. The most successful groups have an invested staff advisor who champions the group’s activities and understands school logistics. At schools where the groups are primarily student organized, the groups often cease when a motivated student graduates and have to be restarted.
GSAs contribute to the sense of belonging at school for LGBTQ+ students and result in stronger social networks among students. The 2024 U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People found that students who attended schools with affirming policies were less likely to have attempted suicide in the past year.