Fewer Coloradans say they are struggling with their mental health, according to a new state survey, hinting at progress after the pandemic’s long shadow.

Two years ago, as the country struggled to return to normalcy following the COVID-19 pandemic, suicide was the second-leading cause of death in the U.S. among America’s youth and young adults. After seeing a nearly 60% increase over two years in pediatric patient visits to the emergency department with mental health concerns, Children’s Hospital in 2021 declared a “state of emergency.”

Feeling connected to family and friends and access to health care can reduce suicidal thoughts and behaviors, experts have emphasized.

A survey by the Colorado Health Institute has also found a tie between social isolation and health.

One in five Coloradans reported feeling lonely, according to the Colorado Health Access Survey.

“People who reported loneliness were more than twice as likely as other Coloradans to say their overall health is poor or only fair,” the report said.

The percentage of Coloradans in the biennial surveys reporting eight or more poor mental health days over a month has slowly climbed from 10.6% in 2013 to 26.1% two years ago.

This year the percentage dipped to 20.5%.

“This is a notable improvement that breaks a trend of worsening mental health results over the past decade of surveys,” the report said.

The report also noted that, while children are getting better access to behavioral health care, young adults 18 to 29 show the highest rates of poor mental health and least access to care.

Among the survey’s findings:

• The uninsured rate in Colorado is 5.9%, statistically similar to previous surveys since 2015

• With about one in five Coloradans receiving Medicaid, enrollment has returned to pre-pandemic levels

• More than half of Coloradans get their health care insurance through an employer, the first time since 2019

Those without insurance held the least positive view of the health care system, with only 20% saying it works for their family.

The survey results come as Colorado braces for health care premiums to double as enhanced federal subsidies under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) are set to expire next year. Congress and the Biden administration had expanded the original ACA subsidies to include more people and also set them to expire in January next year. Republicans refused to extend the enhanced subsidies in the last budget negotiations, though a group of Democrats secured a commitment from U.S. Senate leaders to hold a vote on those expanded subsidies.

The Colorado Division of Insurance estimated that 75,000 Coloradans will lose their health care coverage with the premium increases.

Released last week, the Colorado Health Institute survey noted many in the state are already making difficult financial choices with more than 25% skipping health care because they can’t afford it.