Mental Health

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May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices.

Good mental health is essential for a happy, fulfilling life; it enables us to cope with the challenges and stresses of everyday life. When our mental health is compromised, it can decrease our ability to function, perform everyday tasks, and maintain healthy relationships.

Image by Wokandapix from Pixabay

Mental Health Statistics

Mental health is often considered “silent”. Symptoms often go unnoticed as people keep their struggles to themselves. The Zebra insurance website cites current mental health statistics from the National Institute of Mental Health, Mental Health America, National Alliance on Mental Illness, John Hopkins Medicine, the Center for Disease Control, and Our World in Data.

  • 1 in 5 Americans suffers from a mental illness (NIMH).
  • Anxiety disorders are the highest reported mental health issue in the US with 42.5 million Americans claiming to suffer from this illness. (Mental Health America).
  • Mental illnesses start showing symptoms by age 14 (National Alliance on Mental Illness),
  • About 1 in 4 American adults suffers from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year, and one in 10 will suffer from a depressive illness, such as major depression or bipolar disorder (Johns Hopkins).
  • Mental health crises account for 60 million visits to primary care and 6 million ER visits annually. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention),
  • 41 percent of Americans dealt with an untreated mental illness. (Mental Health First Aid).
  • 10.7% of the world suffers from some form of mental illness. (Our World in Data).
  • 40 million Americans suffer from anxiety (Anxiety and Depression Association of America).
  • More than 40,000 Americans die annually from suicide.
  • Serious mental illness costs the country more than $190 billion in lost earnings every year.
  • An estimated 26% of Americans ages 18 and older suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder.
  • Almost half of Americans will experience an episode of mental illness in their lives.
  • There are 4.5 million children in the United States diagnosed and living with anxiety.
  • Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. It is the second leading cause of death for ages 44 and under and the fifth leading cause of death for ages 45 – 54. For every woman who dies by suicide, four men die by suicide, but women are 3x more likely to attempt suicide. 
  • Mental health illness rates were significantly higher for adolescents (about 50%) and young adults (about 30%).

Mental Health Resources

Here are some free resources if you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health and/or substance use crisis:

988

When people call, text, or chat with the 988 Lifeline, they are connected to trained crisis counselors who are part of the existing 988 Lifeline network, made up of over 200 local crisis centers. These crisis counselors are trained to provide free and confidential emotional support and crisis counseling to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress and connect them to resources. These services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, across the United States.

Be Kind

This quote by Wendy Mass says it well, “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.” Your mental health is as important as your physical health.

Look out for yourself and for the people in your life. If you have any questions about resources to help you and yours, send me an Email or Message me if you have any questions. For additional information about my work check out @ The Living Planner or @ The Living Planner.

❣️ Lynn

#Can’tPredictCanPrepare

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