Call Me Crazy” (2013) is a Lifetime movie that brings awareness of mental health to the forefront and how to therapeutically deal with these challenges.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, in 2014, mental illness, a disorder that affects a person’s mood, behavior and thinking affects more than 26 percent (approximately 57.7 million) Americans ages 18 years and older. Mental illness diminishes the value and quality of daily life of approximately 15 million adults and 4 million children and adolescents. Not to mention, mental illness is the leading cause of disability in the United States and Canada for individuals between the ages of 15 to 44.

In layman terms, one in every five Americans suffer from some type of mental illness. After reading the statistics, is one month enough time to fully comprehend and thoroughly dedicate time to mental health illnesses? The thought of mental health awareness being one month out of the year baffles me.

Mental illness causes economic hardships that surpass the economic hardships of all types of cancers. According to Videbeck, in 2014, one inpatient hospital stay for a patient seeking psychiatric services can cost between $20,000 and $30,000. Many insurance providers separate mental health services coverage from physical health medical services coverage. Many insurance companies also place spending caps on mental health services.

These separate entities of insurance coverage and caps often cause the mentally ill to depend on county funding and/or state funding. Once counties and/or states face economic hardships, funding for the mentally ill decrease or become nonexistent.

Funding is not the only challenge the mentall ill face. Being called “slow,” “crazy,” “retarded” and “coo coo,” are words of prehistoric times that have been used to “label” mentally ill people.

According to the National Alliance of Mental Illness, because of the negative stigma that is associated with being mentally ill, over half of mentally ill Americans fail to seek treatment or fail to follow through with treatment. Because of failure to seek treatment, many mentally ill patients are ostracized from their families and communities. These individuals also end up suffering from co-existing chronic medical conditions.

In 2014, 26 percent of mentally ill individuals resulted in homelessness; 46 percent of mentally ill individuals resulted in substance abuse; and 90 percent of suicides were contributed to mental illness. Not to mention, many mentally ill individuals ended up displace in jails or prisons and contribute to $193.2 billion lost in earnings per year.

In order to improve the lives of many Americans, the stigma of mental illness must be erased. Patients and families must convey any behaviors affecting cognitive abilities, relationships, emotions and behaviors to a health care provider. Information a health care provider is necessary to get treatment to improve overall mental health. Just as any physical chronic disease or illness, treatment must be ongoing to see betterment in overall health status. Once the mentally ill are successfully treated, the nation will see a decrease in the homeless population, a decrease in substance abuse, a decrease in suicide victims, a decrease in imprisonments and incarcerations, and a decrease in unemployment. The more people who are recognized, diagnosed, and treated increase the number of individuals who can live healthier, productive lives.

Now ask yourself, “Is one month to advocate mental health awareness enough time?”

 

Dr. Ira Scott-Sewell is a Natchez resident and a nurse educator at Alcorn State University.