Although 21% of U.S. adults have a mental illness, access to behavioral healthcare remains out of reach for most. From 2008 to 2019, the number of adults with any mental illness increased nearly 30%. The pandemic further exacerbated mental health problems for adults and sparked an expanding youth mental health crisis. As the demand for behavioral healthcare continues to grow, Magellan Healthcare recognizes the need to increase access.

Increasing Access to Evidence-based Care

Magellan has collaborated with NeuroFlow, an award-winning behavioral health technology company, to increase access to our evidence-based digital cognitive behavioral therapy (DCBT) programs and enhance engagement. With a history of over 20 years of research and development and an endorsement from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Magellan’s DCBT programs are integral components of our Digital Emotional Wellbeing program, including FearFighter® for anxiety, panic and phobia and MoodCalmer for depression. Both programs, as well as RESTORE® for insomnia and other difficulties sleeping, are available online in Spanish, further increasing access to evidence-based programs.

Understanding Digital Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a short-term intervention that behavioral health clinicians use to help individuals overcome negative thoughts and behaviors. CBT is effective for depression, anxiety disorders, alcohol and drug use problems, marital problems, eating disorders, and severe mental illness. CBT has been demonstrated to be as effective in certain conditions as other forms of therapy or psychiatric medications. Digital CBT (DCBT) is the implementation of CBT on a digital platform with the same core principles, language and exercises used in live practice that include:

• Learning to recognize thought distortions
• Evaluating distortions against reality
• Gaining a better understanding of others’ behavior and motivations
• Using problem-solving skills
• Developing a greater confidence in one’s own abilities
• Changing behavioral patterns
• Developing coping skills

True evidence-based DCBT follows the exact CBT process, differing from evidence-informed digital programs that use some CBT practices but are not built with fidelity to the intervention model. Learn more about evidence-based vs. evidence-informed behavioral health interventions here.

Impact of FearFighter and MoodCalmer on Mental Health

Our collaboration with NeuroFlow has yielded remarkable outcomes that underscore the power of innovative partnerships. In a recent study, members participating in the Digital Emotional Wellbeing program who completed 75% or more of FearFighter and MoodCalmer reported significant reductions in anxiety and depression symptoms within 90 days.

• FearFighter users experienced a 41% average reduction in Generalized Anxiety Disorder Assessment (GAD-7) scores, compared to other DCBT users who averaged an 11% reduction in GAD-7 scores.
• MoodCalmer users experienced a 24% average reduction in Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) scores, compared to an average 13% reduction among those who completed less of the program.

Beyond these impressive results, Magellan has seen a 124% increase in registrations after launching Digital Emotional Wellbeing over previous programs. Members also report high levels of satisfaction with the Digital Emotional Wellbeing program with 85% indicating they would recommend the program to someone else.

Visit Magellanhealthcare.com/digital-bh/ to learn more about the results and how our Digital Emotional Wellbeing program, including our award-winning DCBT programs improve anxiety, depression and more.

Sources:

• Exploring Barriers to Mental Health Care in the U.S. | AAMC
• What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy? (apa.org)
• Satiani A, Niedermier J, Satiani B, Svendsen DP. Projected Workforce of Psychiatrists in the United States: A Population Analysis. Psychiatr Serv. 2018 Jun 1;69(6):710-713. doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.201700344. Epub 2018 Mar 15. PMID: 29540118.

FearFighter® and MoodCalmer are owned by CCBT Limited Corporation, United Kingdom. CCBT has granted Magellan exclusive rights to FearFighter® and MoodCalmer in the U.S.

Total wellbeing means that you feel fulfilled in all aspects of your life. Your mental health is a big part of your wellbeing. It is important to be aware of the signs or symptoms of mental stress so you can seek help or recognize when someone you care about may need help.

5 reasons why it is important to pay attention to your mental health and wellbeing

1. Mental illness is more common than you think. Mental illness does not discriminate, it affects people of all ages, genders, and ethnicities. One in five U.S. adults experience mental illness, 1 in 20 U.S. adults experience serious mental illness, and 17% of youth aged 6 – 17 experience a mental health condition. Unfortunately, too many don’t seek help.
2. Mental illness affects your physical health. Your brain is part of your body. Mental and physical health are connected. In fact, mental illness can be the root of many physical symptoms. For example, if you are suffering from insomnia, heart palpitations, or fatigue, your doctor may want to rule out depression, anxiety, or other mental health conditions as a potential cause.
3. Diseases or injuries can increase your risk. Just as mental illness can cause physical symptoms in your body, physical diseases, like cancer, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, and trauma such as head injuries, can raise your risk of mental illness. It is important that you are honest about your experiences when speaking with your doctor.
4. It runs in families. Mental illnesses tend to run in families due to both genetic factors and family cultural issues. Remember to include things like depression, bipolar disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in your family health history along with information about heart disease, cancer, and other conditions.
5. Early detection makes a difference. Like medical conditions, getting diagnosed early generally leads to better outcomes. Getting the help you need can prevent symptoms of mental illness from getting worse and causing negative effects on your life, including strained relationships and difficulty managing work and finances.

Visit our 2022 Mental Health Month web page to discover more tools to address and spread awareness about mental health, wellbeing, and specific conditions as we recover from the pandemic and deal with civil, economic, and global unrest.

Sources: health.clevelandclinic.org, nami.org, nih.org

Do psilocybin, MDMA, LSD, ketamine, and cannabis sound familiar as medication therapy to help treat mental illness? It goes without saying that the pandemic has intensified mental health symptoms in the United States (US), turning an urgent matter into a crisis. One in 5 American adults suffers from mental illness, with young adults ages 18 to 25 years reporting the highest prevalence. These numbers speak volumes. Some treatment options do not adequately treat patients with mental illness and are associated with significant side effects. This underscores the need for more effective treatments. Because of these factors, psychedelics and other psychoactive substances are gaining momentum as possible alternatives.

Psychedelics are a “mind-manifesting” hallucinogenic class of psychoactive compounds that affect perception. They have been used by ancient civilizations for medicinal purposes and religious rituals for thousands of years. There is a renewed interest in using psychedelics to treat mental disorders driven by global research, influencers, education, and patient voices. Philanthropy has been the main funding source for psychedelics. However, a recent federal grant to Johns Hopkins Medicine to study psilocybin for tobacco addiction may signal a sea change in federal funding of psychedelic research.

While small-scale clinical trials have been promising, for psychedelics to become mainstream, large-scale randomized controlled trials are needed to fully evaluate their safety and efficacy. Studies are underway through several leading centers including MAPS – the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies – a non-profit dedicated to psychedelic research.

Psychedelics are not currently approved as prescription medications. Notably, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given Breakthrough Therapy designation to two psychedelics – MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and psilocybin-assisted therapy for treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and major depressive disorder (MDD). FDA’s Breakthrough Therapy is designed to “expedite the development and review of drugs which may demonstrate substantial improvement over available therapy.” As clinical trials progress, 2023 could bring regulatory approval for the MAPS’ MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD, a potential turning point in the mental health treatment paradigm.

Patients with mental health illnesses deserve to heal and restore balance to their lives without stigma and judgment and deserve treatments that are safe and efficacious. Step into Magellan’s Clinical Insights for the role of psychedelics in treating mental health conditions. This industry-first paper explores the current evidence, regulatory, and legislative landscape for psychedelics and shares Magellan’s four pillars on emerging therapeutic frontiers. We are guided by four principles:

• Education and thought leadership for patients, payers, providers, and stakeholders while addressing the stigma around mental health
• Evidence-based clinical recommendations and coverage
• Patient safety by advocating for quality standards
• Access that is responsible and sustainable

Disclaimer: The content in this blog article is not a substitute for professional medical advice. For questions regarding any medical condition or if you need medical advice, please contact your healthcare provider.

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic entered our world, the prevalence of mental illness and suicidal ideation in the US was increasing. In 2019, 61.2 million American adults (24%) had a mental illness and/or substance use disorder, an increase of 5.9% over 2018.[1] Depression – a sad mood that lasts for a long time and interferes with normal, everyday functioning – for those under age 50 increased steadily from 2016 to 2019:[1]

• 6% increase among those aged 12-17
• 1% increase among those aged 18-25
• 6% increase among those aged 26-49

From 2009 to 2019, suicidal thoughts, plans and attempts increased among:[1]

• Young adults aged 18-25, 95%, 98.8% and 62.4%, respectively
• Adults aged 26-49, 23.3%, 50% and 24.5%, respectively

Increased stressors brought about by the pandemic – grief and loss, social isolation, financial instability, fear, etc. – have exacerbated the state of mental health in the US. More people from January – September 2020, compared to all of 2019, sought help for anxiety (93% increase) and depression (62% increase).[2] Since COVID-19 began, suicidal ideation in the US has more than doubled, with younger adults, racial/ethnic minorities, essential workers, and unpaid adult caregivers experiencing disproportionately worse effects.[3]

Recognizing the symptoms of depression

Depression can have different symptoms depending on the person, but in most people, a depressive disorder changes how they function day-to-day, and usually for more than two weeks.

Learn the FACTS:

• Feelings: Being extremely sad and hopeless, losing interest or enjoyment from most daily activities
• Actions: Exhibiting restlessness or feeling that moving takes great effort, having difficulty focusing, concentrating on things, or making decisions
• Changes: Gaining or losing weight due to changes in appetite, changing sleep patterns, experiencing body aches, pain, or stomach problems
• Threats: Talking about death or suicide, attempting suicide or self-harm
• Situations: Experiencing traumatic events or major life changes, having a medical problem or family history of depression

A serious symptom of depression is thinking about death or suicide. If you are in crisis or considering suicide, or if someone you know is currently in danger, please dial 911 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.

Jamie Hanna, MD, serves as the medical director for the Magellan of Louisiana Coordinated System of Care (CSoC) program. She is board certified in Psychiatry and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Prior to joining Magellan in 2020, Dr. Hanna served as an assistant professor and assistant training director with Louisiana State University School of Medicine, working with the acute behavioral health unit, and leading the psychiatric consultation-liaison service and emergency psychiatric services at Children’s Hospital of New Orleans. Dr. Hanna completed medical school at the University of Alabama School of Medicine and a subsequent internship in Pediatrics, residency in General Psychiatry, fellowship in Child and Adolescent psychiatry, and fellowship in Infant Mental Health with Louisiana State University in New Orleans.

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

[2] https://mhanational.org/issues/state-mental-health-america

[3] https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6932a1.htm

For our kids, disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic are likely more than just that – temporary inconveniences, varying in severity, until life goes back to “normal.” Besides missing out on once-in-a-lifetime events, like graduations, birthdays and other milestones – at least in a way they would traditionally be observed – regular human interactions, part of social and emotional development, have changed. While adults may be experiencing a serious blip on the radar, children may be experiencing an interruption in brain development and/or lack the ability to fully cope in this unchartered territory.

In this post, we will contemplate these issues and draw on knowledge from Magellan Healthcare’s recently updated clinical monograph, Understanding and Meeting the Needs of Children and Adolescents at High Risk, which highlights evidence-based prevention and treatment approaches for problematic behaviors and various types of behavioral health challenges in children and adolescents.

As we think about the significance of childhood development, the following points from Magellan’s monograph provide insights:

A growing body of scientific information has confirmed the importance of the first five years of life, when the ongoing construction of brain architecture impacts youth social and emotional development, the ability to learn new behavior and skills, and how the youth evolves into adolescence.

Advances in neuroscience have contributed new understanding of adolescent development. During adolescence, the brain experiences a period of major development comparable to that of early childhood.

With much changing in our kids’ lives and environment – virtual schooling, modified in-person play arrangements with friends and reduced time with extended family – the responsibility falls on parents and caregivers, as it always does, to ensure their child’s wellbeing and adjustment. Magellan’s monograph offers the following to ponder:

While genes determine when specific brain circuits are formed, experiences actually shape their formation and are fueled by a self-initiated, inborn drive toward competence. This phenomenon depends on appropriate sensory input and stable, responsive relationships whereby adults respond to a child’s natural reaching out for interaction.

However, when parents are under unprecedented stress and often just trying to make ends meet, attending to their child’s increasing needs can understandably be overwhelming. In addition to the role of parent and full-time employee, many adults have taken on the additional roles of teacher, daycare worker and entertainer, to name a few. In some cases, however, a parent’s struggles may lead to neglect of their children. Magellan’s monograph highlights the following of child neglect:

While child abuse is more widely acknowledged and publicized, child neglect is, in fact, the most common type of child maltreatment, which frequently goes underreported. Expanding on the earlier discussion of impaired brain development, it is now understood that lack of stimulation and necessary care early in life may cause children to remain in a state of “hyperarousal” (i.e., constantly anticipating threats and/or experiencing dissociation) rather than a normal state of attentive calm. This phenomenon leads to a decreased ability to benefit from social, emotional and cognitive experiences and results in other psychosocial consequences. Together with insecure attachments, this state of hyperarousal can significantly affect normal growth and development.

Many parents are also managing their own mental health conditions and substance use disorder during the pandemic, which adds to the impact of what children and adolescents are experiencing themselves. The monograph outlines the risks for children of these parents:

There are many serious risks to children and adolescents who have a parent or both parents with mental illness. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) calls attention to the strong genetic predisposition in children for inheriting bipolar disorder, an anxiety disorder, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), schizophrenia, alcoholism or other SUD, or depression. Recent studies have also demonstrated delayed brain development in young children of depressed mothers. Further, the AACAP notes the additional stress that mental illness places on a marriage and parenting abilities of the couple, and the risks that stem from an inconsistent, unpredictable family environment that can contribute to psychiatric illness and developmental delays in children.

It’s also appropriate to consider the older children and young adults who may lack the ability to cope with increased stress and instability. Magellan’s monograph calls attention to recent research:

A CDC report on mental health, substance use and suicidal ideation during the COVID-19 pandemic shows that while 11% of adults seriously contemplated suicide in June 2020, the same was disproportionately reported by young people aged 18 to 24 (26%).

During these difficult times, we’re all doing the best we can. And we know that brighter days are on the horizon. Until then, and always, as we’re helping ourselves and our children through, let’s remember that “information is power,” as they say. To that effect, we encourage you to learn more in our full children’s clinical monograph here.

Untreated mental illness costs the United States up to $300 billion every year.[1] It is the leading cause of disability and the third most expensive medical condition in terms of total health spending, behind cancer and traumatic injury.

Given that one in five Americans suffers from a mental illness in a given year[3], and that the average delay between the onset of mental illness symptoms and treatment is 11 years[4], mental health screening should be considered just as important as regular medical exams.

Many physicians integrate screening to diagnose mental health conditions as part of primary care. It gives a PCP a picture of the patient’s emotional state and helps determine if symptoms they are experiencing are an indication of a mental health condition or an underlying physical health condition. Magellan Healthcare supports primary care screening and treatment with our Behavioral Health Toolkit at MagellanPCPtoolkit.com

Online screening and digital screening are two of the quickest and easiest ways to determine if a patient is experiencing symptoms of a mental health condition. A PCP may ask a patient to complete a questionnaire online before a visit, or a PCP may ask a patient to answer a few questions on a tablet or form while you they are at the office.

Based on the results, the PCP can recommend treatment options, such as digital or in-person therapy, a referral to a psychiatrist or psychologist, or a referral to the patient’s health plan’s case management team.

Early identification and intervention lead to better outcomes and can reduce long-term disabilities and prevent years of suffering.

To learn more, visit magellanhealthcare.com/mental-health. You’ll find information about mental health conditions and links to evidence-based screening tools you can do yourself. If any screener indicates a problem, consult a healthcare professional immediately.

[1] National Alliance on Mental Illness. (n.d.) FY 2018 Funding for mental health. Retrieved October 7, 2020 from https://www.nami.org/getattachment/Get-Involved/NAMI-National-Convention/Convention-Program-Schedule/Hill-Day-2017/FINAL-Hill-Day-17-Leave-Behind-Appropriations.pdf

[2] Soni, A. (2015). Top five most cCostly conditions among adults age 18 and older, 2012: Estimates for the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved September 18, 2020 from https://meps.ahrq.gov/data_files/publications/st471/stat471.shtml.

[3] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2018). Learn about mental health. Retrieved September 18, 2020 from https://www.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/learn/index.htm.

[4] National Alliance on Mental Illness. Mental health by the numbers. (2019, September). Retrieved September 22, 2020 from https://www.nami.org/mhstats.

Edith Calamia, DO, MPH, CMD, was a teenager when she saw the impact that lack of access to clean water, food insecurities, and unreliable access to care could have on vulnerable populations.

As a young woman Dr. Calamia traveled to the Philippines during summer vacations. There, she would assist her brother, a dentist, in small dental clinics in towns outside Manila. In the Philippines, where eight out of 10 people face dental health issues, millions of people have never seen a dentist due to absence of transportation and limited education. Without proper care, dental decay can lead to chronic disease, premature births, low birth weight, and more.

“As a young person growing up in the ‘70s, I remember thinking that sections of extreme poverty like those I had seen in the Philippines and also in Africa would no longer exist by the time I was in my 30s or 40s,” she says. “I thought we would solve those issues. Now, as the mother of a small child, I’m very passionate about addressing social determinants of health in the United States and abroad so that our children don’t have to find solutions to these problems in their 30s and 40s.”

Dr. Calamia, who joined Magellan Complete Care as chief medical officer in December 2019, sat down to discuss the role of healthcare organizations in addressing social determinants of health (SDOH)—the conditions in which people live, learn, work, and play that can affect health risks and outcomes—and ways that organizations can strengthen their approach.

Magellan: Could you tell us what sparked your passion for caring for vulnerable populations?

Dr. Calamia: My dad was a pilot for Pan American, and from an early age, my three siblings and I traveled internationally, including to Africa, the Philippines, and other countries. We became very cognizant of the impact that social determinants of health—from socio-economic factors to an individual’s physical environment—have on vulnerable populations, from the ability to access basic healthcare services to the ways in which barriers to basic necessities affect health and health outcomes. These experiences prompted each of my siblings and I to enter the medical field.

Early in my healthcare career I did work in Miami and was inspired to go into public health. I completed a fellowship in geriatrics, which enabled me to go into the homes of the seniors I was treating, which underscored for me the difference in health and health outcomes that can be achieved when individuals have reliable access to basic necessities as well as skilled care.

Magellan: What are some of the lessons you learned early in your career about ways to leverage federally funded programs to improve outcomes for the most vulnerable populations?

Dr. Calamia: When I was in private practice, my organization treated people who were on Medicare and Medicaid as well as those who were uninsured, but it was very difficult to support the care of these populations, financially. So, I got together with a group of providers on Staten Island [New York] to open a federally qualified health center (FQHC). This was a journey: It required us to form a community board to guide us through this process. I served as chief medical officer for the FQHC, and I worked with people who had been in the FQHC space for years and years. Through this experience, I learned how to be a good fiscal steward of the federal dollars we received by thinking about our programs strategically, with an eye toward which initiatives would make the biggest difference in members’ health. We concentrated on providing services for the most vulnerable mothers and infants in our community—for example, mothers who smoked or showed signs of substance use disorder; babies with low birth weights or whose first days or weeks were spent in the NICU. We were able to start the FQHC, and open two more centers. I’m really proud of that work.

Later, I joined a managed care company (MCO) and began to view social determinants of health initiatives from that organization’s point of view—which in some instances is a steward of both state and federal dollars.  Here, I began to look at the types of relationships that were necessary to ensure value. For example, how do MCOs find centers of excellence—the organizations that really move the needle on quality and value—to send their members? How do they make sure the programs these organizations provide meet the needs of their members and improve health outcomes?

As a result, we developed a partnership with Camden Coalition to determine how a very intense care management model could keep members out of the emergency department and keep them healthy. At that time, the managed care space incorporated more of a disease management model that wasn’t a face-to-face, in-home visit, hands-on model of care. After running a pilot program, we partnered with Camden Coalition to develop, test, and scale new models of care for members with complex health, behavioral, and social needs.

Magellan: What are some of the biggest challenges healthcare organizations face in addressing social determinants of health?

Dr. Calamia: I think we’ve been challenged as organizations to really measure the effectiveness of our interventions around the social determinants of health. We know that addressing social determinants of health is the right thing to do, and anecdotally, we have many stories about the ways in which addressing social determinants of health can change individual members’ lives. We need to aggregate, on a national level, the data we have and dig deep into the information we can glean from that—exploring where we can build relationships on a local level to change a few lives at a time and then using the lessons learned to scale our approach on a national level for specific populations.

Gaining access to this data may be a challenge for providers’ organizations as well because of limited resources and bandwidth. That’s why it’s so important that MCOs lean in and help them with the data piece—aggregating the data and providing the insight that can help providers dig deeper at the point of care.

When we think about social determinants of health, we have to look at the long game when it comes to understanding the results of our efforts. It’s also critical that we examine the potential for technology and digital apps, in combination with personalized care management, to help meet the needs of our most vulnerable populations in a holistic way. In doing so, we can more effectively help members live healthy, vibrant lives.

Magellan: How are SDOH coming into play during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Dr. Calamia: In so many ways. People are stuck in their homes. If they live in a crowded apartment building, it’s hard for them to distance themselves from others. Home may not be a safe place for victims of domestic violence. In certain urban areas, it’s already hard to get fresh food; with the pandemic limiting distribution, people are eating more processed foods. People who rely on home care services and home-delivered meals aren’t getting the services and sustenance they need. We’re seeing problems with meal distribution and have ordered restaurant take-out meals to ensure our members are fed. The health conditions many people have as a result of SDOH make them more likely to get very sick from the virus. That’s why it’s becoming more important than ever to address these issues.

 Magellan: What attracted you to Magellan?

Dr. Calamia: One of the biggest barriers I’ve seen in my career is helping patients and members determine where they are in their health journey and understanding their mental health needs. Magellan has a rich history of understanding mental health as a key social determinant of health. Frankly, the behavioral health community really understands social determinants of health. They have explored issues such as: Where do members live? Do they have food insecurities? Have they experienced childhood trauma that makes them more comfortable receiving care in an emergency department versus an office? Things of that nature. I believe there’s a chance to create something at Magellan that is really unique, leveraging Magellan’s behavioral health and pharmacy expertise as well as its depth of experience in working with MCOs to make a deep impact on social determinants of health.

We’re going to change the way in which people can access their healthcare, and we’re going to change the way that people feel about their MCO as a partner.

Edith Calamia, D.O., M.P.H., C.M.D., is national chief medical officer for Magellan Complete Care (MCC). Dr. Calamia joined Magellan in March 2020 and oversees all clinical programs within MCC. She also leads the development and delivery of health plan-specific clinical programs targeted to complex populations such as those needing Long-Term Services and Supports, those who are dually eligible for Medicaid and Medicare, people with Serious Mental Illness, and recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) benefits.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. This is an opportunity to increase public awareness of mental health conditions.  We can break down the stigma by ending the silence. About 1 in 5 Americans experience mental illness. It is important to be able to talk openly about it to get people the help they need. It is particularly timely this year, as we are seeing stigma associated with COVID-19, and we must do what we can to stamp out stigma in all its forms.

Understanding mental illness

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), a mental illness is a condition that affects a person’s thinking, feeling or mood. Such conditions may affect someone’s ability to relate to others and function each day. Each person will have different experiences, even people with the same diagnosis. If you have — or think you might have — a mental illness, the first thing you must know is that you are not alone. Mental health conditions are far more common than you think, mainly because people don’t like to, or are afraid to, talk about them.

Mental illness can affect anyone regardless of age, gender, income, social status, religion or race/ethnicity.

• 1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year
• 1 in 25 U.S. adults experience serious mental illness each year
• 1 in 6 U.S. youth aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year
• 50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% by age 24

Depression and anxiety disorders are the most common mental health disorders worldwide.

The exact causes of mental illness are not fully understood. However, factors that can contribute to mental health problems include:

• Genes and family history
• Biological factors such as brain chemistry and brain injury
• Serious medical conditions
• The use of alcohol or other drugs
• Traumatic life experiences
• Isolation and other social factors

Mental illness is not a character flaw or something that a person can just “snap out of.” For many people, recovery — including meaningful roles in social life, school and work — is possible, especially when you start treatment early and play a strong role in your own recovery process.

Sadly, many people never seek treatment out of fear and shame. The stigma of having a mental illness or substance use disorder is two-fold: people suffer needlessly even though effective treatments are available, and they’re also at higher risk of premature death. For example, people with depression have a higher risk of heart disease and cancer. Studies also show that people with severe mental illness have a higher incidence of chronic diseases and tend to die 10 – 25 years earlier than the general population.¹

Stamping Out Stigma

Everyone experiences the ups and downs of mental health. Many people have a mental illness or know a friend or family member who has struggled with one. To stamp out stigma and get people the help they need NAMI offers these practical tips:

• Talk openly and honestly about your own experiences with mental illness and addiction.
• Educate yourself and others about the facts of mental illness. Mental disorders are treatable just as physical diseases are, and people with mental illness are not to blame for their condition.
• Recognize the signs of mental illness and seek professional help when needed.
• Show empathy for those living with mental health and substance use disorders.
• Be aware of your attitudes and language used to describe mental illness and people with mental illness. Jokes and name-calling are hurtful and perpetuate demeaning stereotypes.

Let’s work together to Stamp Out Stigma!

Sources:

[1] Management Information Sheet. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.who.int/mental_health

²Social Stigma associated with COVID-19. (2020, February). Retrieved April 10, 2020, from https://www.unicef.org/media/65931/file/Social%20stigma%20associated%20with%20the%20coronavirus%20disease%202019%20(COVID-19).pdf