May, National Mental Health Awareness Month
I am slow at getting this to you as we were on vacation, but I could not ignore Mental Health Awareness Month in May. I had promised to write an article on mental health in May but decided to do more bullet points..
Statistics: Nearly 60 million adults, 23.8%, experience a mental health illness in the past year, more importantly it is felt that only half receive treatment It is estimated that one in five people in the US live with mental illness Women>men, though men account for 75% of suicide rates globally Adolescents in the 18-24 year range, but less often to reach out for help, 49.5% (staggering).
Suicide is the second leading cause of death for ages 15-29 years old. I researched the statistics and found a staggering number, 700,000 people commit suicide globally per year. I could not believe the numbers, so I triple checked with my last resource being Chat AI.
The elderly population have a suicide rate of 15.4/100,000 , the largest group, even more than adolescents. African Americans and Hispanics are less likely to receive mental health service. LGBTQ+ youth are twice as likely to feel suicidal, four times as likely to attempt
People with severe mental disorders such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder have a 10-25 year shorter life expectancy, the causes are multifactorial.
People with depression have a 40% higher risk of developing cardiovascular and metabolic disease.
Postpartum depression affects approximately 1 in 7 new mothers during the first year after giving birth.
Definitions:
Mental health definitions: The component of behavioral health that includes our emotional, psychological and social well-being, which allows us to cope with the stresses of life.
Mental distress: A subjective sense of discomfort, mental anguish, perceived lack of control, anxiety or stress.
Well-being: A state of positive functioning and general satisfaction with life, including the presence of positive emotions.
A mental health condition: An illness or disorder that affects your thinking, feeling, behavior or mood.
Classifications: Too numerous to list all, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, schizoid personality, bipolar (aka manic depression, drug abuse, autism spectrum disorders, ADHD, alcoholism, various psychosis, etc.
Social Media Impacts: 1 in 5 adolescents report that social media makes them feel worse about their life. Teens that spend 3 hours per day on social media are twice as likely to experience mental health issues.
What Does All This Mean? The statistics paint a clear picture that mental health is a growing concern globally. The intent of this article is public awareness. As I started to write this article, I realized I needed to not go any further with information. Please sit, read and absorb these statistics, then read them again. You have friends, family, coworkers, neighbors or even yourself, that can benefit from the knowing the prevalence. It is happening all around you. People need people so please reach out to someone you think might be in trouble. Early diagnosis and treatment is the key and can range from cleaning up ones diet, exercising daily, stopping alcohol, getting lab work to rule out medical issues, seeing a Health Care Professional, making a call, medications, therapy and much more.
The Life You Save Could Be Your Own 1-866-615-6464 NIMH Information Research Center, Live online chat, email nimhinfo@nih.gov 8:30 am – 5 pm, eastern time Lifeline 988-suicide of crisis lifeline, 24/7/365 NIH Statistics CDC-Mental Health Data Channel Hungtington Psychological services.
Have a good relationship with your HCP to feel comfortable in talking about your real self, not a facade.