Texas Panhandle Data Book
The Texas Panhandle — a region characterized by its unique geography, culture, and economy — faces significant public health challenges, particularly in the areas of mental health and substance use. This data book, published in 2025, provides a comprehensive summary of the behavioral health landscape in the Panhandle region.
Project Details
As part of the Meadows Institute’s regional behavioral health improvement efforts, this report establishes a firm foundation for understanding current population characteristics and system usage and flow. With the insight this data book provides, we will work with the Panhandle community to develop programmatic strategy, resource identification, potential policy focus areas, and exciting innovation opportunities for the region. Analytics for this data book were completed by the Meadows Institute’s Research, Data & Analytics Team in summer and fall 2024 and finalized results were published in January 2025.
This data book aims to provide funding partners and the behavioral health provider community a comprehensive analysis of the behavioral health landscape in the Panhandle region, including the prevalence of mental illness and substance use disorders among its residents. By examining inpatient psychiatric hospital utilization trends, this report also highlights the health care system’s response to the demand for mental health services.
Additionally, insights from the local mental health authority (LMHA), Texas Panhandle Centers, on the usage of behavioral health services provide a clearer picture of the available support systems in addressing the population’s needs. Furthermore, this data book analyzes the number of behavioral health providers in the region, offering valuable insight into the availability of mental health resources for Panhandle residents.