5 facts for Mental Health Awareness Month
The Pew Charitable Trusts
We seek to improve public policy, inform the public, and invigorate civic life.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a time for the nation to turn its attention to the growing mental health crisis that is affecting every U.S. community.
Throughout the month, we'll be sharing key data, factors driving the crisis, stories from those who have been impacted, and proven solutions.
To kick things off: Five facts that underscore the urgency of this issue. ??
Overdose deaths continue to rise as communities face a two-front crisis, with limited treatment and care for substance use disorder and mental health.
And people diagnosed with either a substance use disorder or a mental illness often experience the other. This is challenging, but America's leaders can help save lives.
?? One solution: Make mental health care available at all opioid treatment program sites.
While there is no single cause of suicide, research shows that mental illness can greatly contribute to risk.
Another factor is gun ownership—which grew significantly during the pandemic.
And suicide attempts by firearm are 85% to 90% fatal compared with 5% for other methods, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
But there's reason for hope.
?? Health care providers can save lives by screening all patients for suicide risk and helping those who own guns develop a firearm safety plan.
?? Police have long been the first—and often only—responders sent to help Americans experiencing a mental health crisis.
This can stretch law enforcement resources, reducing attention to other public safety matters.
What this means: Jails are ill-equipped to provide mental health care, but they're often filled with people who need it—potentially exacerbating their mental illness.
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Experts on our "After the Fact" podcast dig into the issue and share solutions—tune in.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"Everybody's aware that police encounters with people in mental crisis usually don't end well for either side."
Brad McGary, a police lieutenant in Abilene, Texas, and member of the city's Community Response Team
Americans are the most stressed-out workers on the planet, workplace mental health expert Kelly Greenwood noted in the most recent edition of Pew's Trend Magazine.
Thankfully, workers are becoming more aware of—and vocal about—the connection between their jobs and their mental health. And the nation's leaders are following suit.
"A [mentally] healthy workforce is the foundation for thriving organizations and healthier communities," U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy said in a 2022 statement about workplace mental health and COVID-19.
??? Normalizing and talking about mental health is a great way we can all help create much-needed culture change in the workplace, Greenwood continues.
Suicide affects all Americans, with rising rates across all demographics. However, there are some populations facing greater suicide risk—including many of the nation's youngest people.
In 2022, 22% of U.S. high school students said they had seriously considered suicide in the past year—up from 11% in 2011.
Within that group, students most likely to experience suicidality include those who are:
?? The American Academy of Pediatrics is calling this a public health crisis.
In 2022, it issued recommendations for pediatric health providers to screen everyone ages 12 and older for suicide risk at least once a year—a proven approach to helping increase access to care.
We hope you found this research enlightening. Stay tuned for more facts, stories, and solutions throughout the month.