Stacey M. Brown, Senior National Correspondent, NNPA Newswire
@StacyBrownMedia
Mental Health According to the State of Mental Health in America, the District of Columbia ranks among the states with the best mental health or lowest prevalence of mental illness and access to care. Counts in 10 states.
Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Delaware, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Illinois, and Maryland round out the top ten.
States at the bottom end of the ranking have higher prevalence and lower access to care. These states include Kansas, Indiana, Texas, Oregon, Arizona, Idaho and Nevada.
MHA President and CEO Schroeder Stribling said in a statement: “This year the evidence is clear about the impending crisis facing mental health in America.
“From high numbers of young people contemplating suicide, to rising drug use, to widespread difficulty accessing the care they seek, Americans experience high rates of distress and frequently seek help. I’m having trouble with it,” Stribling noted.
Stribling continues to work to address and reverse the numbers, including advocating improved policies and practices to help Mental Health America get to where people are at the right time, with the right help. I promised to stay.
“Everyone deserves the care they need and the opportunity to live a fulfilling recovery,” Stribling insisted.
The MHA found that 55% of the more than 50 million Americans experiencing mental illness are not receiving treatment. The main reasons for this are access and cost.
According to MHA researchers, most of those who say they cannot access the mental health care they need report being unable to afford it.
Reasons for this include not knowing where to get services, thinking they can manage their mental health without treatment, not having the time, not paying enough for mental health care, And so on.
Researchers added that 11% of adults with mental illness are uninsured, and 1 in 10 young people with private insurance are not receiving treatment for their mental illness.
“We have a known shortage of mental health providers in our country, with 1 in 350 missing providers, a lack of insurance or insurance that does not adequately cover the costs of mental health care. Barriers such as the lack of access to people in need of help are exacerbated by geographic and racial disparities,” said Maddy Reinert, senior director of population health at the MHA.
“We cannot expect mental health to improve in the United States if those who need it do not have access to the kind of care they want.”
Aiming for more mental health support, DC Council member Robert White introduced a path into the Behavioral Health Degree Act of 2022 for School Districts. This will allow students to earn a Master’s degree in Social His Work for free at the University of the District of Columbia.
White’s bill would have eight co-sponsors of a 13-member council, and eligible applicants with bachelor’s degrees would be able to obtain scholarships that cover tuition and books. . It also provides students with monthly scholarships to cover living and transportation costs.
“When the pandemic started, we heard from a lot of people who felt they needed a mental health professional, but they couldn’t find one. It means that there is
In releasing its annual report, the MHA said it aims to provide a snapshot of mental health among adolescents and adults for policy and program planning, analysis, and evaluation.
In addition, authorities will track changes in the prevalence of mental health problems and access to mental health care, understand how changes in national data reflect the impact of laws and policies, and improve mental health outcomes. We want to increase dialogue and improve outcomes with individuals and families in need. .
“Everyone deserves the care they need and the opportunity to live a fulfilling recovery,” Stribling insists.
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