Discussions about mental health have intensified in recent years as the isolation and stress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted communities, but there is still work to be done to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health and create resource networks similar to those already in place for physical health care.
May is National Mental Health Awareness Month, and communities across the country should take the time to assess their current mental health resources and set goals for future improvements.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, mental and physical illnesses are not easily separated: mental health issues like depression increase your risk of physical illnesses like heart disease and diabetes, and vice versa: heart disease and diabetes increase your risk of developing depression.
According to the CDC, more than one in five Americans suffers from a mental illness, about one in 25 people live with a serious mental illness such as major depression, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia, and about one in five teenagers have struggled with a mental illness at some point.
While there is no single cause of mental illness, factors such as trauma, chronic illness, substance abuse, and genetics can contribute to an individual developing a mental illness. Mental health can also be affected by external factors such as financial stress or long working hours.
Some mental illnesses are chronic and require ongoing treatment for the rest of one’s life, while others may come and go for a time.
Regardless of the cause, diagnosis, severity, and whether it is periodic or ongoing, people who suffer from mental health issues should have the right to seek help if they want. Just like going to the doctor for a broken wrist, a bruised head, strep throat, or the flu, mental health treatment is medical care and should be treated as such.
