Among those who experience a mental health illness, more than half do not receive treatment.[1] The 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health reveals no treatment was received by:

• 90% of the 20.4 million individuals aged 12+ who have a substance use disorder (SUD)
• 55% of the 51.5 million individuals aged 18+ who have any mental illness (AMI)
• 35% of the 13.1 million individuals aged 18+ who have a serious mental illness
• 90% of the 9.5 million individuals aged 18+ who have a co-occurring SUD and AMI
• 57% of the 3.8 million individuals aged 12-17 who have had a major depressive episode

In fact, what we’ve seen in our data is that 60% of patients who are admitted to inpatient care were first seen in a primary care setting within 6-12 months of the admission and the mental health condition was either missed or not addressed.

Through effective screening for mental health conditions on your own or through a physician or mental health professional, it is possible to identify problem areas and get help, so you can live a happier and healthier life.

Mental health self-screening tools

Magellan Healthcare provides links to reputable, free self-assessments of behavioral/mental health, substance use and more.* Once you complete an assessment, be sure to review your results and any recommendations with your doctor.

• Addiction(CAGE-AID)
• Alcohol consumption (AUDIT-10)
• Anxiety (GAD-7)
• Bipolar disorder
• Child depression (CES-DC)
• Child trauma (CTS)
• Depression (PHQ-8)
• Drug abuse (DAST-10)
• Eating disorder (SWED)
• Insomnia (ISI-7)
• Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) (Y-BOCS)
• Pain (PEG-3)
• Parent mental health
• Postpartum depression
• Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (PC-PTSD)
• Psychosis (PQ-B)
• Youth mental health

*Note these are links to outside websites that are not monitored by or affiliated with Magellan Healthcare. If your screening results indicate you are at high risk, call 911 or go to the emergency room immediately.

We encourage you to watch a recording of our webinar, “Depression is more than just a rough patch,” and find additional resources addressing depression at MagellanHealthcare.com/Mental-Health.

[1] https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/reports/rpt29392/Assistant-Secretary-nsduh2019_presentation/Assistant-Secretary-nsduh2019_presentation.pdf

 National Eating Disorder Awareness Week is observed annually on the last week of February , to mark the occasion, we are sharing some important Dos and Don’ts for families and friends of people suffering from an eating disorder.

Eating disorders can be among the most difficult afflictions for family members and friends to understand. Feelings of frustration and helplessness are common. Early diagnosis and treatment can save the life of a person with an eating disorder, but it is important to remember that only an experienced doctor or therapist can treat them effectively.

If the person has lost a significant amount of his or her normal body weight, or you feel that his or her life is in danger, seek immediate medical attention. The following are some additional tips if someone you know is suffering from an eating disorder.

Eating Disorder Dos . . .

• Educate yourself. Read as much as possible about eating disorders. This will help you understand the problem and put you in a better position to help those around you.
• Listen. People with eating disorders often feel ashamed and alone. Your support may provide the strength the person needs to seek professional help.
• Encourage the person to get help. Try to get the person to seek professional help, but don’t be too forceful. This will make the person more anxious, and could discourage the person from seeking help. Unless in immediate danger, avoid forcing the person to get help.

Eating Disorder Don’ts . . .

• Nag about eating or not eating. People with eating disorders are extremely self-conscious about their eating habits. By nagging, you will just make them more uncomfortable and reinforce the behavior.
• Hide food to keep the person from binge eating. Although people with bulimia or binge eating disorder may ask for your help, hiding food from them will only create resentment.
• Force the person to eat. Forcing the person to eat will make him or her feel childish, out-of-control, disapproved of, and scolded. Once again, this just reinforces the behavior.

Help is available

An eating disorder is an illness that is difficult to understand. Identifying and treating these disorders can also be hard. But the sooner a person is diagnosed, the better the chances are for recovery. While you can’t force someone to seek help, you can educate yourself and develop a support system for those around you who may be at risk. The good news is that most people do well in treatment and can recover from eating disorders.