In honor of mental health awareness
month, I’ve decided to do my charity pitch on Mental Health America. Mental
health has thankfully been becoming less stigmatized as time goes on, but that
doesn’t mean there aren’t still strides to be made.
When mental
health is brought up, many people immediately think about disorders such as
schizophrenia or bi-polar disorder, which are depicted in big movies such as A
Beautiful Mind and Silver Linings Playbook. Those two disorders aren’t an accurate
picture of the mental health struggles of the majority of Americans though. About
1% of Americans live with schizophrenia, while about 18% of Americans
experienced an anxiety disorder and about 7% experienced a major depressive episode.
This goes to show that more awareness needs to be brought to the public about
general mental health. You don’t need to be hearing voices in your head or seeing
things in order to struggle or get help.
This inaccurate
depiction of mental health struggles often prevents people from seeking the
help that could greatly improve the quality of their lives. Nobody wants to be
labeled as a nut case or unstable when they tell those around them that they’re
seeking help from a counselor. This is especially sensitive in children and
young adults. It’s difficult enough for an adult to seek the help that they
need, but at a young age there is so much in life that is already confusing
enough, as I’m sure we all know. Not to mention the added difficulty of being
dependent on and navigating your parents through the process with you.
The
statistics on mental health in youth show a need for early intervention and
prevention. Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death in those aged
10-24, 70% of youth in state and local juvenile systems have a mental illness,
37% of students with a mental health condition drop out of school (the highest
of any disability group), and the list can go on and on. This is a pressing issue
for our peers.
One of the
main proponents of Mental Health America’s mission is early identification and
prevention, which there is clearly a large need for. The created the phrase “B4Stage4”,
a play on words used to describe a physical illness, cancer. The logic is that
early intervention and prevention can save a life, as it does in cancer
treatment, before the terminal stage 4 is reached. Spreading their message
could help the lives of many and especially the lives of our youth. J
Statistics Source: https://www.nami.org/learn-more/mental-health-by-the-numbers
Hi Hana,
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate that you chose Mental Health America as your organization to pitch for tomorrow. This organization resonates with me for personal reasons. As a freshman, I really struggled this year with anxiety because of a difficult transition to college life. For a while, I thought I would able to handle the anxiety, but eventually, it got to the point where knew I needed to seek professional help. I am in a much happier place today, but looking back, I still wish I sought out help sooner than I did. I waited until nearly the end of the fall semester, which looking back, was a mistake. Therefore, I really appreciate that Mental Health America emphasizes early intervention and prevention of mental health issues. This is the best way to help those being affected by mental health issues in my opinion.
One statistic I did not know is that nearly 1/5 Americans have experienced/are experiencing an anxiety disorder. With a population of over 320 million people, this means that over 60 million have been affected by an anxiety disorder (which is staggering when you think about the sheer number of people this is)! While I agree that the stigma around mental health has decreased in recent years, there is definitely still work to do on that front. This is especially true when it comes to seeking help, which too many people are afraid to do. One person that has inspired me and many others with his story this year is New York Islanders goalie Robin Lehner. For years, Lehner struggled with bipolar disorder, panic attacks, drug use, and more, before going into rehab and making his struggle public this year. After improving his life off the ice, Lehner became a star goalie for the Islanders this past year. You certainly don't have to like hockey, or sports in general, to be inspired by Lehner's story and his bravery to share it with the world. I think it's great whenever celebrities, athletes, or other influential people share their mental health stories because it shows that nobody is immune to this issue.
I'm excited to see your pitch tomorrow!
Hey Hana,
ReplyDeleteI have already exceeded the requisite number of blog comments for this blog, however I felt it both appropriate and necessary to respond to this. I find it great that you chose to pitch Mental Health America. What this organization does is tremendous in both saving lives and raising awareness about mental illness. As someone who has struggled with my own mental health issues in the past, it is both disappointing and rewarding to see organizations like this. It is disappointing because there needs to be more organizations like Mental Health America, and it is rewarding because it is great to see the fantastic work it does.
The statistics you give are staggering, and I would like to add a few more to show the severity of the mental illness problem. First, in 2017, about 46.6 million adults were diagnosed with what they call AMI, or any mental illness. Of those diagnosed, only 42.6 percent received any sort of treatment. Also, as you stated in the blog post, it is much more difficult for youth to receive treatment, and the statistics back it up: approximately 38 percent of those aged 18-25 receive treatment. One other statistic is that almost half of the adolescent population (13-18) have experienced some type of mental disorder.
With these statistics out of the way, it is clear that there is a large population of those who struggle with a mental illness that do not receive proper (or any) treatment. Why is that? One very possible reason is that they are scared. They fear what society will think of them, and want to seem “normal” in what is already a flawed world. It is sad to see how shallow such a significant portion of the population is when it comes to mental health. There is a wide array of mental illnesses that range from schizophrenia to anxiety. It is almost laughable that so many people either joke about mental illness: for example, they joke about being depressed or try and make it seem that they are depressed. This shows that so many people are unaware of what it truly means to be mentally ill, and to be honest, it is disgraceful to see what is almost mockery that surrounds mental health. People are thought of as “foreign” or should be distanced from the rest of the population if they exhibit some sort of mental illness, which is pretty terrible.
It is so important to fund mental health organizations to not only give them proper funding to help those who struggle with mental illness, but also to help eliminate the stigma surrounding mental illness. Mental health is not something to joke about, nor should mental illnesses be stigmatized. The statistics you give are probably unknown to many people and help warrant the need for more organizations that tackle mental illness. Early identification and prevention are two great ways to help begin tackling the problem. However, more mental health organizations need to be created, and people need to change their views on mental illness and on those who may suffer from one. It is through these changes that we can finally begin to effectively raise the stigma that surrounds mental illness and allow those who lack treatment to be able to receive it.
The statistics I provide are from this website: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness.shtml
Hana,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate that you shed light onto an organization that directly helps those that suffer from a mental disorder. Mental health is an issue that I hold very close to my heart. Just a year ago, my brother was diagnosed with depression and ever since my parents found out, he has been getting the counseling he needs.
I am absolutely grateful that my parents reacted promptly and asked professionals about this matter before it got any worse. It is absolutely crucial that organizations like Mental Health America are available to assist those that struggle with mental disorders. This especially applies to young teenagers and the youth who tend to keep things to themselves. Some more statistics: 3.2% of children (1.9 million children) ages 3 to 17 have been diagnosed with depression and 9.4% (4.4 million) of children 3 to 17 were diagnosed with anxiety.
While organizations such as Mental Health America and the Mental Health Association of the Southern Tier, have done incredible work, with these numbers, questions arise on how the education system can implement trained professionals and counseling offices for students. It is also crucial that mental health and signs of it are taught to students across the nation to potentially minimize the risk of suicide. How can schools and even college campuses continue to educate students about mental health? How can schools and colleges be more open and offer comfort to those who need a proper safe space?
https://www.cdc.gov/childrensmentalhealth/data.html
-Jacob Yi
Hana,
ReplyDeleteThis is certainly a unique charity pitch, and one that appeals to me personally. When I was younger, I dealt with a severe case of OCD. For those who are unaware, OCD (Obsessive-compulsive disorder) is "a mental disorder in which people have unwanted and repeated thoughts, feelings, ideas, sensations (obsessions), and behaviors that drive them to do something over and over (compulsions)." This caused me to say words/make sounds I did not mean or understand. I would also repeatedly perform actions or rituals that my mind demanded from me, such as eating a specific food an even number of times (my favorite is still four). Eventually, I grew out of most of these urges with medical and therapeutic aid, but my OCD had still crippled me throughout my childhood. It had left permanent scars on my self-esteem and social skills. I know that we are supposed to study the nonprofits empirically and with non-bias criteria, but i can't help but feel a personal connection to the organization you are suggesting for the charity pitch.
Source: https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000929.htm
- Christian
Hi Hana,
ReplyDeleteI wanted to say that I thought you did a very good job pitching Mental Health America, and that I think this organization has an amazing cause. Currently, through the FRI program , I am researching the factors affecting the state of mental health among college students, with studied variables including exercise frequency, caffeine consumption, sleep quality, diet, and more. In performing this research, I am well aware of the current statistics of mental health on college campuses: universities are statistically known as places with the some of the highest rates of mental illness in the country. For this reason, I am especially impressed with this nonprofit. Their focus on young people and college students in programs such as 'Back to School' and "Life on Campus', demonstrates their wide accessibility and ability to tailor their services to every population.
I was recently reading an article that mentioned how one of the deadliest aspects of mental health among youth is the existing barriers to treatment. Some of the barriers that were mentioned by the author included the stigma surrounding mental illness, trouble finding treatment, or inadequate screening for mental illness by primary care providers. However, in Mental Health America's student focused programs such as 'Life on Campus', these barriers are broken down. For example, online mental health screenings and questionnaires are available on the organization's website, and suggested treatment centers in one's local area are posted. Additionally, a part of the negative stigma surrounding mental illness includes the fear of what others will think. However, Mental Health America's resources are all web-based and confidential, so a individual need not worry of others finding out. It is clear that Mental Health America is not only making strides in increasing awareness towards mental illness, but also helping a population that is often overlooked: college students like us.
Link to the article: https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hblog20151001.050925/full/
Hi Hana,
ReplyDeleteI really liked your charity pitch and enjoyed hearing you talk about Mental Health America. I think mental health is commonly overlooked because it isn't something you can visibly see like most physical illnesses. Supporting non-profits like Mental Health America is very important and I think presenting on their organization for your charity pitch was a good choice.
Something you included in this blog post really stuck with me. When you stated that 46.6 million adults were diagnosed with AMI, I was floored. I can't believe that there are that many people living with mental illness and that not even half of those diagnosed received any kind of treatment. Also, as you stated in the blog post, it is much more difficult for youth to receive treatment, which is even scarier, as mental health problems can sometimes get worse over time. These statistics just go to show the importance of Mental Health America and their role in society.
Another point you mentioned was that Mental Health America works to de-stigmatize the negative connotations associated with mental illness. I think that this is very important because asking for help is hard enough as it is, but when people look down on or have preconceived notions of what they think mental illness is or looks like, it is even harder to reach out and get help. The confidentiality that Mental Health America provides is a critical piece of the puzzle. This was one of my favorite charity pitches of the semester and I think you did a great job.
-Chloe