Trifecta of Engagement on WMHD2019
October 10th is World Mental Health Day and National Depression Screening Day! As if that was not motivating enough, we are also in the midst of National Mental Illness Awareness Week (Oct 6–12).
On the heals of World Suicide Prevention Day and Recovery Month, do we really need more awareness days for mental health and addictions? Absolutely!
The statistics are breathtaking: approximately 1 in 5 American adults have a mental disorder. Globally, one person dies by suicide every 40 seconds.
Even though more celebrities and sports figures are speaking out about their own struggles with mental illness and addiction, there continues to be a major challenge to engage people in treatment for mental illness. In addition to stigma, barriers (e.g., childcare, transportation) and access to care (e.g., health care coverage) are particularly challenging when attempting to get people into and continue treatment.
Fortunately, many organizations are working to decrease stigma and educate people about mental health first aid, suicide prevention, and treatment options.
Beyond that effort, we must collectively continue to advocate for access to care. Mental health parity legislation was enacted in 2013, and yet there continue to be discrepancies between health and mental health coverage.
We can and must do better! We need to advocate for full enactment of parity between health and mental health services.
Additionally, we need to advocate for policies that decrease the mental health workforce shortage to have providers available when people are ready to seek services in schools and communities.
We must advocate for one another today on World Mental Health Day…and each and every day.
If you or someone you know is struggling with a mental illness….
- Know the signs. There are screenings available for many disorders, in addition to depression.
- Seek treatment through your insurance provider list, your community, or specific provider lists. For urgent needs, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, which is available 24/7: 1–800–273-TALK.
- Advocate. Talk with your local, state, and federal legislators about proposed legislation to increase mental health care.
The trifecta of engagement: we need to recognize the signs of mental illness, seek treatment or encourage others to get help, and advocate for increased access to mental health care to promote mental health for ourselves, loved ones, and communities.
