Understanding Mental Health and Advocating for Change

Mental health is a serious issue impacting more than 1 in 5 adults in the U.S.^[1] The most susceptible are females, young adults (age 18-25), and those of two or more races.^[2] But what exactly do we mean when we say, “Mental health?” Mental health is a state of mental well-being that allows people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn and work well, and contribute to their community. Mental health is integral to our well-being.^[3]

The Importance of Mental Health Awareness Month

Mental health issues, often referred to as mental health disorders, refer to a range of mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, addictive behaviors, and eating disorders. Mental health issues are often overlooked or minimized in our society. However, research shows that the problems arising from poor mental health can be as serious or even worse than physical issues. In 2019, 970 million people across the globe were struggling with a mental health disorder.³

Mental health issues cause problems in almost all aspects of life such as our physical health, relationships, family, friendships, the community, education, employment, and the ability to care for ourselves independently. Sadly, many people avoid discussing their mental health because of the negative stereotypes and stigma.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month — a time to raise awareness about mental health issues and combat the stigmas still associated with them.

Mental Health and Physical Health

Mental health issues don’t simply impact our mood and behavior. They can seriously impact our physical well-being in many ways. Let’s take a look at some facts and statistics:

Mental illness can weaken the immune system, making it harder for the body to fight infections, which potentially exacerbates mental health issues.
Mental health issues can also cause heart disease, ulcers, decreased energy levels, and increased risk for obesity.
Studies have found that depression can increase your risk of developing cardiovascular and metabolic diseases by 40%.^[4]
Those with serious mental illness (SMI) — one or more mental, behavioral, or emotional disorders that result in serious functional impairment that interferes with or limits one or more major life activities — have twice the rate of type 2 diabetes than the general population.^[5]
Physical symptoms such as pain, fatigue, and disability add to the burden of mental illness and can make mental health worse.^[6]
People with cardiovascular disease and serious mental illness have a significantly shorter life span of 10–20 years.
Mental health issues increase the likelihood of substance use disorders by almost 50%.
Approximately 52.9% of adults with an SMI and 43.9% with any mental illness had used illicit drugs in 2022, compared with 20.6% with no mental illness.

We cannot discuss mental health awareness without addressing suicide. Prolonged emotional pain often leads to desperate attempts to find relief. Many people choose a long-term solution to this short-term pain. In the U.S. over 1.7 million adults attempted suicide in 2021, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Suicide is a global public health problem. Every year more than 700,000 people die as a result of suicide. Suicide also sends ripple effects throughout communities, friends, and families who have lost a loved one to suicide. The suicide of a loved one can lead to increased depression, anxiety, lost wages, family strife, and many other serious problems.

It’s time we recognize that mental health is physical health; the two cannot be separated. We need to change the way we think about these issues. The best treatment for mental health issues requires treating all aspects of your health. Regular exercise and a healthy diet are important components of treatment for most mental health conditions. Our bodies and our minds are connected; one system affects the other. Therefore, problems with one area will affect the entire system.

How Mental Health Impacts the Community

The reality is that mental health doesn’t just impact the person, our lack of attention to mental health concerns impacts our society as well. Our society is as complex and interconnected as our bodies, and mental health issues affect our communities in many ways. Untreated mental health issues can lead to increased taxes to fund psychiatric hospitals, unemployment, poverty, homelessness, and rising healthcare costs. Here are a few ways our lack of attention to mental health can impact our community:

Mental health issues can lead to problems such as social isolation and issues with communication and interactions with others.
Mental health issues often increase conflicts in the home and workplace, leading to divorce or unemployment.
Mental health issues can lead to reduced focus and productivity, increased attendance issues, and termination of employment, which in turn can lead to poverty and a loss of health insurance. Poverty then affects people’s ability to find housing and receive a quality education.
Mental health issues in childhood can negatively impact education.
Many struggling with mental health issues have difficulty concentrating, feeling motivated, or following rules, resulting in disciplinary measures that can interrupt their learning process.
Students with emotional disturbances are suspended or expelled 64% more often.^[7] Those who drop out of school are 63 times more likely to end up in jail than college graduates.⁷

In 2012 the World Health Organization stated that 21.2% of time lost at work for disability was due to mental health and behavioral health disorders. A later study reported that the actual number could be as high as 32.4%.^[8] To put these numbers in context, the second highest rate is musculoskeletal diseases at 14%. That places mental health issues as two times more likely to lead to missed work than any other ailments. Increased absenteeism often leads to termination, which can lead to poverty, homelessness, and reliance on government assistance, which increases taxes. It’s all connected.

Mental Health Issues — Understanding and Advocating for Change

The understanding and treatment of mental health issues are paramount for our future. Identifying risk factors for mental illness is an important step for implementing prevention and treatment programs. Understanding these risk factors also allows for early intervention, which can prevent these larger issues from occurring.

However, no program, no matter how well designed, can be effective if it’s not used. We need to reduce the stigma associated with mental health treatment and increase adherence to treatment recommendations. Here are a few important ways to improve the mental health care system:

Increase awareness through Mental Health Awareness Month and other such programs.
Advocacy for policy change can help reduce factors that exacerbate mental illness and disproportionately affect people with mental illness.
Reduce the stigma of seeking mental health treatment. It’s 2024, no one is going to send you off to an asylum to be dunked repeatedly in an ice bath like they did 100 years ago.
Increase Early Childhood Programs that provide stable, emotionally supportive environments, learning opportunities, and interactions that stimulate development, as they provide protective factors that prevent mental health issues.
Implement Violence Prevention Initiatives that can help reduce child and spousal abuse, homelessness, use of government assistance, and incarcerations. Violence significantly harms children’s development, increases mental health issues, and affects the overall health of a community.^[9]
Mental health research and treatment can improve our understanding and treat these issues before they become more serious. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of a cure.

Here at Lake Point Recovery and Wellness, we offer a variety of services, including mental health evaluations and screenings. If you or a loved one is experiencing mental health issues, especially those leading to substance abuse and addiction problems, we’re here to help. Give us a call at 1-833-4HANDUP to learn more about how we can help.

^[1] https://www.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/learn/index.htm

^[2]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10808380

^[3] https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-strengthening-our-response

^[4] https://namica.org/illnesses/depression/

^[5] https://www.va.gov/PREVENTS/docs/PRE013_FactSheets_SeriousMentalillness_508.pdf

^[6] https://evidence.nihr.ac.uk/alert/people-with-severe-mental-illness-personalised-support-manage-long-term-physical-conditions/

^[7] https://childmind.org/education/childrens-mental-health-report/2016-childrens-mental-health-report/mental-health-impacts-in-schools/

^[8] Vigo D, Thornicroft G, Atun R. Estimating the True Global Burden of Mental Illness. Lancet Psychiatry. 2016; 3: 171-78.

^[9] https://publichealth.tulane.edu/blog/mental-health-public-health