May is Mental Health Awareness Month

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The theme for Mental Health Awareness month this year is “Cure the Stigma.”

I am offering up to 10 free depression and anxiety screenings to people during the month of May. If you’re interested, you may make an appointment by contacting me at my Yarmouth office at 846-1008 or cate@catedimarzio.com.  Screenings will take about thirty minutes, and are only offered for a limited time.

When I decided to write a blog about Mental Health Awareness Month, I went to Google to see what I could find. I was surprised to learn that it was established in 1949; some sources say by a presidential proclamation. After 70 years I don’t understand why the stigma around mental health is still so strong. It keeps people from seeking treatment that could bring them and their families relief. This is a tragedy for our country because many mental health issues can be managed or resolved with therapy and/or medication. As you will read below, the financial and social costs for untreated mental illness is high.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) estimates that approximately 1 in 5 adults in this country experience mental illness each year; 1 in 25 of those suffer from a serious mental illness that substantially interferes with at least one of the activities of daily living. Half of the 20.2 million adults who experience a substance disorder also have a mental illness. It’s estimated that about 20% of prisoners in the US have a recent history of mental illness, and 70% of youth in the juvenile justice system have at least one mental health condition. 62.9% of adults with mental illness received treatment in the past year, and slightly over half of children 5-15 received services in the past year.  Members of racial minority groups in the United States are much less likely to receive treatment than white Americans.

The consequences of the lack of treatment are serious and expensive. According to NAMI, mental illness costs America over $193.2 billion in lost earnings. Mood disorders are the third most common cause of hospitalization in the U.S. for people aged 18-44, and mental illness increases the likelihood of developing a chronic medical condition. Students with a mental health  condition are more likely to drop out of school than other students. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in this country, the 3rd leading cause for people aged 10 -14 and the 2nd leading cause for people aged 15-24. Furthermore, 90% of children who die by suicide have a mental health condition, and it is estimated that 18-22 veterans die by suicide each day.

If you think you or someone you love has a mental health condition, please seek treatment (or encourage them to do so). A good place to start is with your PCP, or a referral  from your to a qualified mental health professional, friend or a website like Psychology Today. As noted above, I will be offering free depression and anxiety screenings for people during the month of May.

Peace

Links:

For the quoted statistics and other resources: https://www.nami.org/mentalhealthmonth

9 Ways to Fight Mental Health Stigma: https://www.nami.org/mentalhealthmonth

Psychology Today Therapist Finder: 9 Ways to Fight Mental Health Stigma: https://www.nami.org/blogs/nami-blog/october-2017/9-ways-to-fight-mental-health-stigma