Mental Health Care Services Accessibility and the Intersectionality of Smoking - Juan Carlos Ruiz Malagon

Knights Landing is a farm worker community of approximately 1,000 residents located 20 miles north of UC Davis. Initially, residents of Knights Landing established contact UC Davis Chicano/a Studies researchers regarding their perceived elevated risk of cancer and environmental exposures. Our subsequent analysis of existing health risk monitoring data in addition to preliminary discussions with residents, UCD medical clinic staff, and county health officials revealed individual risks like smoking, diet, lack of exercise, substandard housing, and occupational exposures are pervasive in Northern Yolo County. In a community with substantial environmental and social risk factors, prioritization for health interventions is an important task (CalEPA 2015, EPA 2016).


Rural communities are known to have higher rates of smoking although similar knowledge of the adverse health effects of smoking exists relative to urban communities. One proposed reason for the elevated risk of smoking in rural communities is high prevalence of untreated mental health illness common in underserved communities with cultural, legal, economic, and geographic barriers to care. Individuals from low socioeconomic status, marginalized, underserved, and underrepresented face much of the exposure to the stress brought about by these factors.These stresses often lead individuals to develop mental illnesses such as anxiety disorder and depression, which have been linked to the increased use of substances.



My reasoning for starting a research study in Knights Landing, CA is due to the fact that as a child I lived and was raised in a rural community. I was born in the state of Guanajuato, a state located in central Mexico. My hometown is a rural agricultural community where health disparities are prominent. Many folk hero survive by harvesting crops and raising cattle to sell in the nearby towns. Unfortunately, due to the impoverished conditions folk endure, medical services, education, and other social services are not easily attainable. Growing up here, I noticed folk suffered from chronic illness and mental health conditions. Due to the stigmatization and lack of financial stability, folk were forced to neglect their wellbeing in order to have sufficient money for food.


Growing up I did not believe a university education was attainable due to my socioeconomic status. This all changed when I immigrated to the United States, here there was a different narrative on how to attain an education. Opportunities in this country were far greater than that of Mexico. I have the privilege to be at a world class institution such as UC Davis. My goal is to be able to be trained as a public health specialist in order to help alleviate the disparities that occur in rural communities within california. Knights LAnding is one of these communities that reminded me of home; the folk here endure chronic illness and suffer from different mental health issues. Unfortunately, the small town is not equipped with all the necessary resources needed to serve the residents well.


Through my research study, I hope to be able to create a status on the mental and emotional well being of the town. In addition, I have implemented surveys with the help of my colleagues and created interview questions that are currently being administrator. The interview questions will help identify different factors that are causing a worsening mental and emotional well being status of the community. Currently the research study is still in the process of being completed, research within mental and emotional well being is a difficult task to undertake due to the complexity of the information being collected. With the information we receive, I hope to be able to present the information to different organization that can help provide free services such as legal aid personal, social worker,s counselors, and substance awareness counselors to the community in order to alleviate the social and health disparities occuring.