We all need to learn more about mental health.
I recently was a guest on a podcast called Transformations-stories about change with Nic Banck. Nic is a business leader who shares a personal story of transformation. Nic and I have a mutual friend who told Nic about The Just A Mom podcast as Nic is seeking to learn more about mental health. In my interview with Nic, he said “I never thought I would have a need to learn about mental health.”
While mostly a passing statement, I think many of us share Nic’s sentiments. We have the false illusion that we will never need to know much about mental health. I certainly learned the hard way how wrong that thought pattern was.
Depending on what you read, somewhere around 20 percent of children and 20 percent of adults have a diagnosable mental illness, and nearly 60 percent of college students met the criteria for a mental health problem in 2021 (https://www.apa.org/monitor/2022/10/mental-health-campus-care). For perspective, according to the CDC, about 7.2 percent of adults live with heart disease. I am certainly no mathematician, but there is a large statistical probability that either we or someone we care about will experience a mental health problem or illness in our lifetimes. I point this out so that we can take action.
According to the APA Health Minds (2021) study, more than 60% of college students met the criteria for at least one mental health problem.
Like Nic, we all need to be proactive in learning about mental health. We need to share that knowledge with our families and friends. One way to do this is by listening to The Just A Mom podcast. Another way is to visit The Just A Mom podcast website resources page. (https://www.thejustamompodcast.com/services-9). Another incredibly valuable resource can be your local county mental health center. I am fortunate to live in a county with outstanding county mental health services. Don’t forget to look into non-profit organizations in your community. There are some incredible groups doing amazing work to educate people about mental health and suicide prevention. Finally, you can always ask your primary care provider for any mental health information he or she may have. Whatever you do, make sure you take action to learn more about mental health. You, or someone you love, will thank you.
