Written by Jaden Parker
According to Mental Health America, about 21% of adults in America in 2023—which is over 50 million people—are experiencing a mental illness. This is a 1% increase from 2022. Of those 50 million people, roughly 12 million have reported serious thoughts of suicide, and a little over half receive no treatment for their illnesses. Over 5.5 million adults in America are uninsured, and 28% of those struggling with mental illness reported that they can’t afford the treatments and care needed to address their conditions. The highest rate of adults in the U.S. experiencing serious thoughts of suicide are multiracial. For youths, the numbers only look more bleak. More than 2.7 million people aged twelve to seventeen are currently experiencing severe major depression in the United States. Sixty percent of them are not able to receive treatment.
With all of these numbers, it is hard to process just how serious the mental health crisis is in America today. Anxiety and depressive disorders are the most common mental illnesses in the United States with roughly 1 in 5 adults having a diagnosable mental health condition every year. Diagnosable mental health conditions plague 46 percent of the American population, and half of them develop those conditions by the age of 14. Luckily, there are many ways for the United States to address these issues.
Last year, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced they were giving $206 million in grant awards towards mental health in youths. These awards will expand access to mental health services in schools, connect youths to behavioral health services, and improve the quality of mental health services already in place for those involved in the child welfare system. These awards are a step in the right direction, as funding is needed to pay our counselors and caseworkers.
Besides governmental funding, companies should take a stand against mental illnesses by promoting mental health and wellness. There should be resources in all companies for mental support, whether that be giving access to health programs, including mental health days as a part of sick days, and/or bringing a doctor on-site for regular visits. And it’s not just major corporations and policymakers who can make a change. You can, too. Yes, you. There are two types of people in the world when it comes to mental illness: those who support others going through these conditions and those who support the stigma that mental illness is just a synonym for being weak.
It is very clear with the current mental state of most Americans that Covid-19 did a doozy on the mental health crisis. Being stuck at home made a lot of people feel extremely lonely and hopeless, creating space for negative thoughts and beliefs to take root. Just about every person in existence has been stressed out by something in their lives, whether you just found out your wife is delivering triplets instead of twins or your bills are being sent to your house with red lettering plastered all over the envelopes and you haven’t eaten a warm meal in a few weeks. Stress takes many forms and has many faces. For some, this stress comes in the form of anxiety or depression or bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. These mental illnesses are frighteningly real, and treatment isn’t cheap.
The best thing you can do if you don’t suffer from these illnesses is to be open to what it would be like if you had one. Spending a moment understanding what someone is going through would be a major help for those who need someone to talk to. People are less likely to reach out if they think they won’t be received. With that, if you or someone you know is struggling mentally, there are a multitude of resources at your disposal. If you can’t afford therapy or antidepressants, don’t lose hope. There are other solutions you can try like exercise—yoga is an extremely therapeutic form of exercise with a focus on expelling your stress through your breath—talking to a friend, taking time to do something you love to do, and listening to your body when it’s saying that enough is enough.
All of these things are easier said than done. Trust me when I say that I know how hard it is to “just breathe” or “take a moment for yourself.” However, know that no emotion can last forever; you are strong enough to make it to the other side of whatever you are facing.
Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
Postpartum Support International HelpLine at 1-800-944-4773
S.A.F.E. Alternatives HelpLine for nonsuicidal self-injury at 1-800-366-8288
The Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386
