Natural and manmade crises impact community-level behavioral health, including mental health and substance use. This article shares findings from a larger project about community behavioral health, relevant to the ongoing water crisis in Flint, Michigan, using data from a larger study, involving monthly surveys of a panel of key informants from Genesee County. The data come from open-response questions and are analyzed as qualitative data using grounded theory techniques. Although respondents were not asked about the water issues in Flint, participants commented that the water situation was increasing stress, anxiety, and depression among the city’s population. Participants thought these mental health issues would affect the entire community but would be worse among low-income, African American populations in the city. Mental health consequences were related not only to the water contamination but to distrust of public officials who are expected and have the authority to resolve the issues. The mental health effects of this public health crisis are significant and have received inadequate attention in the literature. Public health response to situations similar to the water issues in Flint should include sustained attention mental health.

Loveridge S. (2004) A typology and assessment of multi-sector regional economic impact models, Reg. Studies38, 305-317. This paper provides a summary and critical review of the types of multi-sector models with inter-sectoral linkages commonly used to predict the total impact of an event (plant opening, closing or policy change) on the regional economy. The following model types are included: economic base; input-output; social accounting matrix; integrated econometric/input-output; and computable general equilibrium models. Appropriate uses of the various modelling approaches are presented along with some general operating principles and ethical considerations. The paper concludes with directions for future research. Loveridge S. (2004) Une typologie et un bilan des modeles des impacts economiques regionaux multi-sectoriels, Reg. Studies38, 305-317. Cet article cherche a faire le resume et la critique des typologies de modeles multi-sectoriels qui ont des liens intersectoriels et dont on se sert frequemment afin de predire l'impact global sur l'economie regionale d'un effet ponctuel (a savoir l'ouverture d'un etablissement, la fermeture, le changement de politique). On inclut les typologies de modeles qui suivent: base economique, echanges interindustriels, matrice de comptabilite nationale, econometrie/echanges interindustriels integres, et equilibre general sur ordinateur. On presente des facons d'employer les divers modeles qui conviennent, conjointement avec des principes generaux et des considerations ethiques. Pour conclure, l'article propose la voie a suivre pour ce qui est de la recherche future. Loveridge S. (2004) Eine Typologie und Bewertung vielfach gefacherter regionalwirtschaftlicher Auswirkungsmodelle, Reg. Studies38, 305-317. Dieser Aufsatz bringt eine Zusammenfassung und kritische Besprechung der Typen mehrfach gefacherter Modelle mit intersektorellen Verknupfungen, die weithin dazu benutzt werden, die Gesamtauswirkung eines Ereignisses, (sei es Eroffnung, Schliessung oder Betriebsumstellung) auf die regionale Wirtschaft vorherzusagen. Die folgenden Modelltypen werden berucksichtigt: wirtschaftliche Grundlage, Aufwand/Ertrag, Sozialbedeutungsmatrix, integrierte okonometrische Aufwand/ Ertrags- und berechenbare allgemeine Gleichgewichtsmodelle. Es werden geeignete Anwendungen der verschiedenartigen Modellansatze sowie allgemeine Arbeitsprinzipien und ethische Erwagungen vorgelegt. Der Aufsatz schliesst mit Hinweisen auf weitere Forschungsaufgaben. Loveridge S. (2004) Una tipologia y evaluacion de modelos multi-sectoriales que analizan el impacto economico regional, Reg. Studies38, 305-317. Este articulo ofrece un resumen y un examen critico de los tipos de modelos multi-sectoriales con enlaces inter-sectoriales comunmente utilizados para predecir el impacto total de un acontecimiento (apertura de una planta, cierre, o cambio de politica) en la economia regional. Se incluyen los siguientes tipos de modelos: base economica, input- ouput, matriz de contabilidad social, econometrico/input-output inte...

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Shift-share analysis is a means of decomposing change. Several alternative shift-share formulations appear in the literature. This research compares seven shift-share models through intra-model component correlations. The widely cited Esteban-Marquillas model performs less well under this test than do the classic model and two of its other derivatives. The Esteban-Marquillas model has other previously undetected weaknesses: 1) some components should logically sum to zero when all sectors and regions are added together, but do not; and 2) some components produce unrealistically high values for small volatile sectors.

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This article analyzes the relationship between local economic growth and the distribution of businesses across size categories. The distribution is measured by the employment share in businesses of various sizes and by a business distribution index. The index provides a measure of the extent to which the local economy deviates from an equal employment share in each of nine business-size categories. The authors find strong links between a county's business-size distribution and its economic growth rate and also a difference between the optimal income and job growth-enhancing distributions. In addition, the results indicate that the optimal growth-enhancing distribution of employment has a higher share of the smallest businesses (with one to four employees) than the current average. The results support increased policy emphasis on encouraging small business start-ups and development; however, the optimal development strategy depends on the initial distribution of businesses within a local economy.

Recent attention to communities ''localizing'' food systems has increased the need to understand the perspectives of people working to foster collaboration and the eventual transformation of the food system. University Cooperative Extension Educators (EEs) increasingly play a critical role in communities' food systems across the United States, providing various resources to address local needs. A better understanding of EEs' perspectives on food systems is therefore important. Inspired by the work of Stevenson, Ruhf, Lezberg, and Clancy on the social food movement, we conducted national virtual focus groups to examine EEs' attitudes about how food system change should happen, for what reasons, and who has the resources, power, and influence to effect change. The institutions within which EEs are embedded shape their perceptions of available resources in the community, including authority and power (and who holds them). These resources, in turn, structure EEs' goals and strategies for food system change. We find that EEs envision working within the current food system: building market-centric alternatives that address inequity for vulnerable consumers and producers. EEs bring many resources to the table but do not believe they can influence those who have the authority to change policy. While these findings could suggest EEs' limited ability to be transformative change agents, EEs can potentially connect their efforts with new partners that share perceptions of food system problems and solutions. As EEs increasingly engage in food system work and with increasingly diverse stakeholders, they can access alternative, transformational frames within which to set goals and organize their work.