What Constitutes Good Mental Health
Steering Committee
May 26, 2022
This May we celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month and this year’s theme allows us an opportunity to go “Back to Basics.” Now that mental health really is becoming a part of general, everyday conversations it is important that the correct information is disseminated by trusted individuals in the community so that all people have a solid understanding of what constitutes good mental health. Being able to have conversations about mental health, and how it relates to our overall health and well-being, will help all of us make better decisions as to when we need to seek help for ourselves and others.
Here are a few basic facts:
- Addressing mental health symptoms early is critical.
- In the United States (US), 1 in 5 people will experience a mental illness during their lifetime – but we know that everyone faces challenges in life that can impact their mental health at any given time.
- Close to 50% of people in the US will meet criteria for a diagnosable mental health condition in their lifetime.
- Individuals who belong to marginalized communities face even deeper burdens due to social, cultural, and historical factors. We are beginning to recognize, study, and quantify how racism and bigotry affect the everyday lives of people of color and how this leads to poor general health, and mental health, outcomes.
- Most importantly, recovery is possible!
Addressing mental health symptoms in early onset is important because with early and consistent treatment, individuals can manage their conditions and overcome challenges to lead healthy, productive lives. Not only is it important to intervene in early onset, but it is also important to intervene early in a person’s life. Providing young people with an accurate diagnosis and effective treatment can help them recover more quickly, benefit from their education, develop positive relationships, and ultimately lead meaningful lives. One of the ways that schools/districts can assist with this is by implementing universal screening, much in the same way that we do
screenings for hearing and vision, to catch issues early and allow for appropriate intervention and treatment. This is especially important because research has shown that half of all mental illness occurs before the age of 14, and three-quarters of mental illness begins before age 24.1 The sooner we can identify an issue, the sooner we can intervene.
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, people were experiencing heightened levels of anxiety, depression, stress, and trauma. The pandemic only exacerbated these conditions and now we find ourselves in the midst of a mental health crisis across the country. A study conducted by Boston University and Brown University found that the rates of depression tripled during the pandemic.2 The individuals who experienced the highest rates were those who has low household incomes, were single, and experienced multiple stressors during the pandemic. The authors of the study point to the atypical rates of depression a year into the pandemic, stating that “The sustained high prevalence of depression does not follow patterns after previous traumatic event.”3 Researchers typically expect to see a peak and then a gradual lowering of rates after a traumatic event. The sustained high rates of depression well into the pandemic points to the unprecedented impact of this pandemic on all of us, but especially highlights the unequal burden that populations with low incomes have borne in this pandemic.
In order to help you understand why this is important to you and to us, let’s take a look at the percentage of students considered socioeconomically disadvantaged (percentage of students who are eligible for free or reduced-price meals; or have parents/guardians who did not receive a high school diploma) in a sampling of some of our partner school districts: 4
- Adelanto USD – 75%
- Apple Valley USD – 75%
- Baker USD – 77%
- Barstow USD – 79%
- Bear Valley USD – 68%
- Hesperia USD – 66%
- Lucerne Valley USD – 88%
- Needles USD – 77%
- Snowline Joint SD– 73%
- Victor Elementary SD – 87%
- Victor Valley Union SD– 88%
You can see from the numbers that many, many of our students/clients are affected by this unequal burden on them and their families. It is important that we educate our students and their caregivers regarding the importance of recognizing when they may be experiencing mental health challenges and how to seek out help. Everyone should have the support they need to thrive.
While the COVID-19 pandemic has certainly exacerbated some of the risk factors related to individuals developing a mental health challenge or condition, there are numerous other factors that can play a role. Things such as trauma, a one-time event or on-going, genetics, brain chemistry, substance use/abuse, lack of sleep, among many other factors can also lead to developing a mental health condition. Educating our students/clients and their caregivers to recognize when they may be struggling is a great first step to empower folks to take their mental health seriously, seek help, and begin their journey to recovery.
References:
- Kessler, Ronald C et al. “Age of onset of mental disorders: a review of recent literature.” Current opinion in psychiatry vol. 20,4 (2007): 359-64. doi:10.1097/YCO.0b013e32816ebc8c"
- Persistent Depression Symptoms During COVID-19
- Depression Rates Tripled and Symptoms Intensified During First Year of COVID-19
- Explore Information About your Local School and District
Resources:
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