Mental Health Month 2021 Week 1

Stephanie Weatherly, DNP, PMH RN-BC, FACHE

Chief Clinical Officer

May 3, 2021

This week kicks off Mental Health Month (MHM) 2021. If this is the first May you have been on the PMC team, you are in for a great month! Every year our teams work diligently to stop the stigma and raise awareness of mental illness and its treatments in May. The pandemic's effects make MHM even more important. According to WHO, far from being an equalizer, the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed just how vulnerable many of our social and health systems are in the face of major public health shocks. The impact of coronavirus for people from marginalized communities, particularly those with behavioral health conditions, who are experiencing disproportional health, economic, and social impacts from the evolving pandemic have been extreme. Let's look at some of the diagnoses we treat across our service lines (according to the NIMH):

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) affects 6.8 million adults or 3.1% of the U.S. population, yet only 43.2% receive treatment.
• Women are twice as likely to be affected as men. GAD often co-occurs with major depression.
• Panic Disorder (PD) affects 6 million adults or 2.7% of the U.S. population.
• Women are twice as likely to be affected as men.
• Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) affects 15 million adults or 6.8% of the U.S. population.
• SAD is equally common among men and women and typically begins around age 13.
• According to a 2007 ADAA survey, 36% of people with social anxiety disorder report experiencing symptoms for ten or more years before seeking help.
• Specific phobias affect 19 million adults or 8.7% of the U.S. population.
• Women are twice as likely to be affected as men.
• Symptoms typically begin in childhood; the average age of onset is seven years old.
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) affects 2.2 million adults or 1.0% of the U.S. population.
• OCD is equally common among men and women.
• The average age of onset is 19, with 25 percent of cases occurring by age 14. One-third of affected adults first experienced symptoms in childhood.
• Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) affects 7.7 million adults or 3.5% of the U.S. population.
• Women are more likely to be affected than men.
• Rape is the most likely trigger of PTSD: 65% of men and 45.9% of women victims of rape will develop the disorder.
• Childhood sexual abuse is a strong predictor of lifetime likelihood for developing PTSD.
• Major Depressive Disorder is the leading cause of disability in the U.S. for ages 15 to 44.
• MDD affects more than 16.1 million American adults, or about 6.7%of the U.S. population age 18 and older in a given year.
• While the major depressive disorder can develop at any age, the median age at onset is 32.5 years old.
• MDD is more prevalent in women than in men.
• Persistent depressive disorder or PDD (formerly called dysthymia) is a form of depression that usually continues for at least two years.
• PDD affects approximately 1.5 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older in a given year. (about 3.3 million American adults).
• Only 61.7% of adults with MDD are receiving treatment.
• The average age of onset is 31 years old.
• Anxiety disorders affect 25.1% of children between 13 and 18 years old. Research shows that untreated children with anxiety disorders are at higher risk of performing poorly in school, missing important social experiences, and engaging in substance abuse.
• Mental health disorders are the most common diseases of childhood.
• Of the 74.5 million children in the United States, an estimated 17.1 million have or have had a psychiatric disorder — more than the number of children with cancer, diabetes, and AIDS combined.
• Half of all psychiatric illness occurs before the age of 14, and 75 percent by 24.
• Children and adolescents with psychiatric illness are at risk for academic failure, substance abuse, and a clash with the juvenile justice system — all of which come at a tremendous cost to them, their families, and the community.

The sobering statistics highlight the need for further work. This year's MHM theme remains Tools to Thrive. The PMC Communications team worked hard to deliver amazing resources for your use. If you haven't seen them yet, PMC employees can access them here.

Some themes to spread this MHM according to Mental Health America:

• Adapting after trauma and stress
• Dealing with anger and frustration
• Getting out of thinking traps
• Processing big changes
• Taking time for yourself
• Radical acceptance

Let's work together to stop the stigma. Thanks for all you are doing to serve so many!