Mental Health in the United States

We tend to take minor things for granted in life. We didn't know how important something was until it was gone, and how much better we could have managed it if it had been with us. One of these things is mental health. The stigma around mental health persists because some individuals are still afraid to talk about it. Some folks generally don't give a damn about their mental health. Mental illness is still the "elephant in the room" in homes, at work, and school. We're aware of the problem but prefer to remain silent about it.

I've often wondered why people are so scared to speak up about something that we can all connect to and about which we should all be deeply worried. Nowadays, one of the most common problems we see our ordinary Americans face is dealing with mental health difficulties. You don't have to be diagnosed with a mental health issue to recognize that managing it is difficult for you. Stress, frustration, worry, and another mental agony can alter how we live, behave, think, and feel about other people, places, and things. Some people put off taking care of their mental health since it's a subject that calls for them to sit down and be mindful of their feelings and thoughts. We have to realize that trying to escape these feelings or ideas by using other people, locations, or objects only makes the situation worse.

Anxiety disorders, panic attacks, OCD, sadness, bipolar disorder, mood disruption disorders, phobias, eating disorders, personality disorders, PTSD, schizophrenia, and other mental health diseases are just a few examples. Numerous things can lead to mental health issues. Factors to take into account include genetics and family history, life experiences, unresolved negative emotions (stress, guilt, shame, etc.), exposure to pregnancy, medical issues, loneliness, difficulty with abandonment, childhood trauma, and history of abuse. How is the most crucial question. How do you handle these issues? What initiatives or services can we create and offer to the broader public to solve these problems? How do we raise consciousness?

When does mental health get a lot of attention?

Mental health is sometimes utilized as a "get out of jail free" card." Many tragic cases in which people claim mental illness as a justification for their awful inhumane behavior are seen and heard. News of mass shootings in schools, supermarkets, movie theaters, and other public areas where children and adults congregate are examples. We frequently witness footage of a "shooter" who has had a mental health crisis or has been diagnosed with a disease. In my opinion, where is the history of our communities or, more significantly, parents advocating for services that can help manage the mental health issue of concern if this is the case, which it is? The question is what you've done to guarantee that the problem is correctly handled, and what efforts you've taken to avoid a scenario like this from escalating. After that, what happens? There's more to dealing with a mental health issue than popping pills. We need to delve deeper and come up with approaches that are healthful, self-paced, and provide long-term benefits. On the other hand, there are some people who are having difficulty managing their mental health difficulties and are looking for services that will help them.

Let's take a closer look at mental health in the US. Mental health was always common before the coronavirus epidemic, and the incidence of mental illnesses has been steadily increasing. The mental health of adults and children is deteriorating, according to an online American mental health database. In comparison to the 9.1% reported the previous year, 9.7% of our youth in the United States are depressed. Adults are having more suicidal thoughts than ever before. Between 2016-2017 and 2017-2018, the number of people in the United States who had serious suicidal thoughts increased by 0.15 percent, or 460,000 people, compared to the previous year's numbers.

There is still a scarcity of mental health treatment for both children and adults. During the 2017-2018 school year, 60 percent of children with severe depression received no mental health treatment. Over 38% of people do not obtain the mental health care they require, even in the states with the best availability. Only 27.3 percent of children with severe depression received treatment on a regular basis. 23.6 percent of adults with mental disorders reported unmet treatment needs in 2017-2018. This figure has stayed constant since 2011. The number of people with mental illnesses who are uninsured has grown for the first time since the Affordable Care Act's passage (ACA). In the United States, there are 5.1 million adults who are uninsured. This ratio varies significantly by state: in New Jersey (ranked #1), 2.5 percent of those with AMI are uninsured, compared to 23 percent in Wyoming (ranked #51).

Lastly, despite the fact that there are many programs that promote mental health and wellness, we ought to push for more. Initiatives for mental health and wellness should be incorporated into the curriculum. Hospitals, community centers, and any other organization that works with people should offer mental health services.

Be well this Wednesday!