The results of a study of health needs in nine Boston suburban communities underscore the demand for a deeper look at suicide prevention for teenagers, and at transportation options for senior citizens to get to doctor appointments, stores, and events.
The new study by Community Health Network Area 18 also urges more scrutiny on the number of emergency room visits by teens for substance abuse. The report covers Brookline, Dedham, Dover, Needham, Newton, Waltham, Wellesley, Weston, and Westwood.
There will be a public forum about the report’s findings tomorrow from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Wellesley Free Library.
Copies of the report will be available at the forum, and it will be available online at http://www.chna18.org/.
The study surveyed health care providers in the communities, and used statistics from government reports on hospitals and other health agencies. The study points out that 100 percent of the survey results came from health care workers who identified themselves as white and English-speaking.
“This is largely reflective of the composition of the community health workforce, which would ideally be more representative of the populations served,’’ says the study. “It also addresses the need for more outreach to minority providers in Phase 2 of this project.’’
Judy Fallows, cochairwoman of Area 18, said the providers in the study served residents who are nonwhite and speak languages other than English.
Fallows said that the second phase of the study would include interviewing residents in addition to more providers, and would be more focused on diversity.
“We should have been able to do some more on that,’’ said Fallows. “The intention is definitely to include those voices and bring those voices to the table. Over the course of the next year, we’ve got a list of people, now, that we want to talk to.’’
Fallows could not say how much the report cost. She said funds came from hospitals as part of the benefits they provide to their communities.
In general, while some concerns stood out, cities and towns in Area 18 fared well, beating state averages when it came to air quality, incidents of infectious and chronic diseases, smoking rates, and adult obesity. However, the study found that certain mental health issues call for a deeper look.
Waltham raised a flag in connection with suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts among high school students. Fourteen percent of the district’s students acknowledged “seriously considering’’ suicide in 2010, and 15 percent acknowledged an attempt, compared with state averages of 14 percent and 7 percent, respectively.
Marie DeSisto, director of nurses in the city’s school district, said the suicide-related numbers were identified in Waltham two years ago, and the district has been working with students, parents, and local mental health care providers to address the problem.
“The staff, as a whole, developed a what-to-do guide if they are concerned about a student’s safety or threatening remarks,’’ DeSisto said. “We have never had a suicide in the time I’ve been here. We have a very strong protective factor that I know is unique to Waltham.’’
Superintendent Susan Nicholson pointed out that the study found students feel connected to teachers and other adults at the high school.
“Certainly, we’re concerned about any student’s thoughts about suicide, but we did take some comfort that our students, by and large, feel very much connected to at least one adult at Waltham High School,’’ she said.
The Area 18 study also showed that, overall, hospitalizations for alcohol and substance abuse were lower than the state average in almost every community. Dedham was above the average state levels, and Waltham and Westwood were about the same as the state average.
But several communities exceeded state averages for the number of youths 19 or younger who went to emergency rooms for drinking or drug-related reasons.
Brookline, Newton, Waltham, and Wellesley all came in above the Massachusetts average in this category. The study called for a deeper look at why.
In Newton, Dori Zaleznik, commissioner of health and human services, said that the report “flies in the face’’ of Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System statistics that the city has logged with the federal Centers for Disease Control.
“The data we have wouldn’t suggest more reporting to hospitals’’ than the state average, Zaleznik said. “That’s not to say it isn’t happening. It is interesting, and we are interested in looking at everything, so I’d like to see the data in their report.’’
Lloyd Gellineau, human services coordinator in Brookline, suggested the study results had to do with a successful effort on the part of parents, teachers, and police in the community.
“Our numbers for alcohol use are down,’’ Gellineau said. “But that doesn’t necessarily reflect that ER visits will go down, too.’’
The town, said Gellineau is working hard to raise awareness of underage consumption and drug use. More awareness, he said, means more reporting and more young people being brought to hospitals for treatment when there is a problem.
The study also found that some residents in the area face problems associated with what they described to be a lack of transportation.
Despite public options, such as the MBTA’s the Ride service, seniors (but also younger people) reported having trouble finding ways to get to medical appointments, stores, and social opportunities.
In Needham, Emily Carroll, the public health program coordinator, said transportation was a key issue for elders.
“We do have the local Needham Council on Aging, and they do offer transportation to individuals 55 and over,’’ Carroll said, but she added that expansion of transportation resources would take more money. “I think we need to ramp up local transportation to the doctors and to grocery stores, and probably the only way we’ll be able to do that is if we can apply for grants.’’
Having the report in hand means more data to use in applying for funds, Carroll said.
Similarly, Waltham could be a candidate for funding during the second phase of the Area 18 project, when the network develops how to distribute what have typically been small grants administrated by its officials.
“This report makes it much more possible for the CHNA to direct those funds to areas of most need and also where it can make a difference,’’ said Fallows.
Other risks highlighted in the study included youth obesity in some communities at rates higher than Massachusetts as a whole, social pressures and stress related to unemployment and finances, and fall-related deaths among senior citizens.
Community Health Network Area 18 intends to develop a three- to five-year plan to address these and other issues raised by its report, Fallows said.
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