World Mental Health Day is observed on October 10th every year, with the overall objective of raising awareness of mental health issues and mobilizing efforts in support of better mental health.  The theme of World Mental Health Day 2017 is “Mental health in the workplace”.

Globally, more than 300 million people suffer from depression, and 260 million suffer from anxiety disorders—many of whom live with both conditions. A study by the World Health Organization found that such disorders cost the global economy $1 trillion in lost productivity each year.

Here’s a deeper look at how mental health issues affect Americans:

• 1 in 5 (or 43.8 million) adults experience mental illness in a given year.
• 1 in 25 (or 10 million) adults experience a serious mental illness.
• 1 in 100 (or 2.4 million) live with schizophrenia.
• 2.6% (or 6.1 million) of Americans have bipolar disorder.
• 6.9% (or 16 million) suffer from severe depression.
• 18.1% (or 42 million) live with an anxiety disorder.
• 90% of those who die by suicide have an underlying mental illness.

And yet:

• Only 41% of adults with a mental health condition received help and less than 50% of children 8-15 received mental health services.
• Only 36.9% of those suffering from anxiety receive treatment.
• Less than 20% of Americans with moderate depressive symptoms sought help from a medical professional.
• And 4% of young adults with self-reported mental health needs forego care.

We can help.

Call us at 732-356-1082

Statistics compiled from the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI), the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), the American Psychological Association (APA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH).

FACTS ABOUT DEPRESSION

General

• Depression is the leading cause of disability in the U.S. for ages 15 to 44.
• Depression affects more than 15 million American adults, or about 6.7 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older in a given year.
• Only about half of Americans diagnosed with major depression in a given year receive treatment for it and one fifth receive treatment aligned with current practice guidelines.
• Up to 80% of those who receive treatment for depression show an improvement in symptoms, usually within four to six weeks, of beginning treatment.

Youth

• About 20% of young people will experience depression in their teen years and between 10% to 15% of teens will have symptoms of depression at any given time.
• About 30% of tends with depression develop problems with substance abuse.
• Depression in youth can lead to problems at school, running away, low self-esteem, eating disorders, self-injury or disinterest in career or educational opportunities.
• Three times more female adolescents developed depression than their male counterparts.
• About 8% of teens suffer with depression for at least a year at a time, compared to the roughly 5% of the general population.
• On average, 64% of youths with major depression don’t receive mental health treatment. This varies by state from 42% in New Hampshire to 77% in Arkansas.

Men

• The lifetime rate of depression is 8% in men and 12% in women, but the difference may be due to fewer men seeking help for depression.
• Men are more likely to seek treatment for the physical symptoms of depression, than the typical symptoms associated with the disorder.
• Men die by suicide 3.5x more often than women.
• Suicide is the leading cause of death for men under 35, although middle aged men have the highest risk of death by suicide.

Veterans

• Veterans have rate of suicide 50% higher than the rate among other civilians with similar demographic characteristics.
• About 50% of veterans who need mental health services seek it out, but only a little more than half of those veterans receive adequate care.
• In 2005, 22% of veterans sought mental health treatment through the private sector rather than from the VA.
• The Veterans Crisis Line (800-273-8255, Press 1), has had more than 2 million callers since it was established in 2007, with nearly a quarter of those calls — 490,000 — coming in last year.

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Data Source: mentalhealthscreening.org

Dear Friends,

I woke up Monday morning to the devastating news out of Las Vegas. As a kindergarten teacher, I knew I needed to prepare myself for questions from my students. A parent asked me, “how can I explain this to my child?”

In my experience, it’s best for parents to be honest with their children, in an age-appropriate manner, of course. Television and radio are just a few ways that children might hear about troubling world events- they will also overhear people talking about it in public, from other students, and from other family members. When parents are proactive and purposeful in discussing current events and hard topics, this limits the spread of misinformation (which may be even more distressing than reality). Additionally, parents should emphasize that it is always a good idea to talk about how you’re feeling. When we provide opportunities for open dialogue, it helps children feel safe, mentally and physically.

In terms of events like what happened in Las Vegas, the goal is to make your children feel safe. Focus on a few important things: 1) the danger is gone, because the police took care of it, and 2) look for the helpers. If you’re ever in a scary situation, look for ‘helpers’ like police (or call 911), teachers, and trusted adults.

Books are a wonderful resource for parents to start a meaningful, age-appropriate conversation. It gives children an opportunity to process, ask questions, and share their emotions in a safe environment.

– “Flood” by Alvaro Villa is a picture book which depicts a family preparing to evacuate their home before a flood, and then returning to rebuild. This book gives an opportunity to talk about natural disasters; also, how listening to adults, following the plan, and sticking together helps us make it through a big challenge.

– “A Terrible Thing Happened” by Margaret Holmes and Sasha Mudlaff does not describe a particular ‘bad thing,’ but talks about how fear and anxiety may make our body feel sick.This can help children verbalize how they are feeling physically and emotionally.

– “Jenny is Scared: When Sad Things Happen in the World” by Carol Shuman is recommended by the American Psychological Association. It describes the confusion that children feel when they hear about bad things on the TV/radio but don’t understand what happened. It tackles a lot of normal childhood anxieties, as well as larger, more disruptive events like acts of mass violence or natural disaster.

Finally, for the adults… in case nobody told you, it’s okay to feel scared or hopeless. These are hard times, and being strong for others is a heavy burden to carry. Remind yourself to “look for the helpers,” like Mr. Rogers told us to do. Mental health clinicians at SANE recommend the “Three C’s:” control what you can (making dinner, being kind to a stranger, what you put on TV), connect (with loved ones, professionals, your child’s teacher), and comfort (meditate, go for a run, take a bubble bath).

If you are overwhelmed or need further resources, please call us here at Family and Community Services, or reach out to your doctor or counselor. We are here for you.

With best wishes,

Mary Cole

Board Member – Family & Community Services of Somerset County