By Trista Bowser at Kent State University
Broadcast version by Mary Schuermann reporting for the Kent State-Ohio News Connection Collaboration.

When she sees clients who are struggling with depression, Vicki Montesano often tells them to walk outside for 10 minutes each day.

"That connection to a natural environment can enhance wellbeing," said Montesano, the bureau chief of mental health treatment with the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services Office of Community Treatment Services. "If you look at different experiments, people who have been exposed to natural environments improved working memory, cognitive flexibility, and attention control."

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. To encourage more people to benefit from spending time in nature, the Ohio Departments of Natural Resources (ODNR) and the Mental Health and Addictions Services (OhioMHAS) have created the Thrive Outside campaign.

According to a Kaiser Family Foundation poll, 4 in 10 adults claimed they had symptoms of anxiety or depressive disorder during the pandemic. From January to June 2019, only 1 in 10 reported those symptoms.

"There were studies that had shown a decline in people's mental health because of more isolation, of course," said Staci Tessmer, the president-elect of the Ohio Counseling Association.

Just stepping outside for a few minutes allows us to soak up some Vitamin D from the sun which is known to repel symptoms of depression and improve our mood.

"There has been a lot of research on nature therapy and [it] doesn't necessarily have to be therapy-associated, but just being outside in general can boost our physical and mental health," said Tessmer, who has been a licensed professional clinical counselor supervisor for more than nine years.

Going on walks can help mental health tremendously, Tessmer said. When you do spend any time outside, make sure to be present and not focus on anything that can cause stress or distract from the peacefulness of what is going on around in the moment, she explained.

"Being outside is one thing, but being outside mindfully is really the key," Tessmer said.

Because of COVID-19, many have been utilizing the parks that Ohio offers. The number of visitors that go to these parks have been rising in recent years. Amy Bowman-Moore, president of the Ohio Parks and Recreation Association, has noticed this firsthand.

"In the last two years, the parks have seen their visitation grow and grow," Bowman-Moore said. "And I know there's statistics out there that let people know how being out in nature affects in a positive way, your physical and your mental state ..., if you haven't tried it, try it."

For more information and help, consider contacting one of the following for free, 24/7 help:

Ohio CareLine - 1.800.720.9616 to confidentially connect with trained counselors for support and Ohio Crisis Text Line - Text the keyword 4HOPE to 741 741 to connect with a trained counselor. Any additional help and/or details, please go to https://mha.ohio.gov/get-help/get-help-now.

This collaboration is produced in association with Media in the Public Interest and funded in part by the George Gund Foundation.


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After more than 50 years of use, some Michigan lawmakers say naloxone may not be the best choice in an overdose situation.

Naloxone is sometimes called the "Lazarus drug" because of its powerful ability to seemingly resurrect people after a drug overdose.

Sen. Kevin Hertel, D-St. Clair Shores, and some of his colleagues have introduced a bill which would open the door for what they say are more costly, but more powerful, antidotes.

"Given the prevalence of fentanyl in our communities, and how much stronger some of these drugs that we're now seeing are, we believe -- and in talking with others -- that there should be other tools to respond to an overdose," Hertel explained. "To make sure we're doing everything we can to save somebody's life."

Not everyone is on board with the proposed legislation, Senate Bill 542. Opponents argued the more expensive naloxone alternatives are not necessary, and using them would only increase profits for the pharmaceutical industry.

Jonathan Stoltman, director of the Opioid Policy Institute in Grand Rapids, said while the naloxone alternatives do help in overdose situations, they can also cause nasty side effects.

"The newer approaches, they put people into more severe withdrawal," Stoltman pointed out. "That's a pretty profound negative side effect. The one approach is very inexpensive and works great; the other approach is far more expensive and has this strong negative side effect."

Sponsors of the bill say they're hoping to give Michigan residents a chance to chime in on the issue in a public hearing sometime in June. Michigan saw more than 3,000 opioid overdose deaths in 2021.


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New Mexico saw record enrollment numbers for the Affordable Care Act this year and is now setting its sights on lowering out-of-pocket costs - those not reimbursed by insurance. More than 56,000 New Mexicans are enrolled in a medical health insurance plan on the state exchange - an increase of 12,000 people overall.

Colin Baillio, deputy superintendent with the state's Office of Insurance, said the state has boosted its outreach and made efforts to improve the overall consumer experience.

"We saw a 40% year-over-year increase, and New Mexico saw the biggest percentage increase during the open-enrollment period among all of the state-based marketplaces," he explained

Part of the enrollment increase is due to what's called the "unwinding" - a federal directive that required all states to redetermine Medicaid eligibility following a three-year pause on checks during the COVID pandemic. He said by using expanded tools made available by the federal and state government, 8% of New Mexico's population is now uninsured - down from 23% in 2010.

Following approval by lawmakers in the 2024 legislative session, the New Mexico governor signed seven health care-related bills into law - one of which requires annual reporting of prescription drug pricing. Baililo said the Affordable Care Act built the foundation that has allowed the state to pursue additional affordability initiatives.

"I'm really glad to see that there's so much interest in the next step of health reform, really leaning into these out-of-pocket cost issues and making it easier for people to afford to stay covered and see their doctors," he continued.

Two years ago, the state also passed a one-of-a-kind law that did away with behavioral health co-pays for people in certain insurance plans.

New York's medical aid-in-dying bill is gaining further support. The Medical Society of the State of New York is supporting the bill. New York's bill allows terminally ill people with only six months to live to use this option, with safeguards requiring two physicians' approval.

The bill's Assembly sponsor Amy Paulin, D-Westchester, said despite the growing support, other hurdles lie ahead.

"Now we have what I believe, if it came to the floor, a majority. There's still a hesitation on the part of leadership. You know, we need members to assure leadership that they no longer have reservations," she said.

Other newly resolved concerns center on making sure insurance companies and doctors who don't support this aren't held liable. She's optimistic the bill will pass after nine years in the Legislature. New York would be the 11th state along with Washington, D.C. to have medical aid in dying legislation.

Corinne Carey, senior New York campaign director with Compassion and Choices finds the pandemic drew a vivid picture of a person's end-of-life experience. There were images of people dying on ventilators, apart from loved ones, and unable to communicate. She said people began thinking about a "good death."

"And, what is a good death is being surrounded by loved ones, having some measure of control, experiencing the touch of your loved ones, and being the one in the driver's seat," she explained.

Now people have different options for end-of-life care, each of which presents various challenges. Polls show medical aid in dying has garnered considerable support since being introduced in 2015. A 2022 Compassion and Choices poll finds 57% of nurses support medical aid in dying professionally, although fewer support it personally.