May is National Mental Health Awareness Month, and greater recognition of this chronic and severe problem in the U.S.is sorely needed. Consider some of these disturbing trends. In 2019, just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, 19.86% of adults experienced a mental illness, equivalent to nearly 50 million Americans.
Suicidal ideation continues to increase among adults in the U.S. The national rate of suicidal ideation among adults has increased every year since 2011-2012.
Over 2.5 million youth in the U.S. have severe depression, and multiracial youth are at greatest risk. 10.6% of youth in the U.S. have severe major depression (depression that severely affects functioning). The rate of severe depression was highest among youth who identified as more than one race, at 14.5% (more than one in every seven multiracial youth).
Over half of adults with a mental illness do not receive treatment, totaling over 27 million adults in the U.S. who are going untreated. In Hawaii, the bottom-ranked state, 67% of adults with a mental illness did not receive treatment. Even in Vermont, the top-ranked state in the U.S., 43% of adults experiencing a mental illness were not receiving treatment.
The percentage of adults with a mental illness who report unmet need for treatment has increased every year since 2011. In 2019, 24.7% of adults with a mental illness report an unmet need for treatment.
As part of this concert effort to raise awareness of the ongoing mental health crisis, the people from the Ten Percent Happier podcast have decided to get involved.
Ten Percent Happier has launched a landing page with access to free resources, including podcast episodes, meditations and digital talks. Alongside this collection of free resources, Ten Percent Happier is also launching a limited-edition podcast series titled “Mental Health Reboot,” which will include guests like Jonathan Van Ness, and provide insight on a range of topics, encompassing everything from shame to grief and trauma to sleep.
Additionally, as a part of Mental Health Awareness Month, and as a way to honor and celebrate mental health professionals and their work over the past two years, Ten Percent Happier is offering a free year of access to its app for all mental health professionals, along with a month of free access for all of their clients.
Caring for our mental health is more important than ever, and meditation is a scientifically validated practice that supports emotional health and well-being.
Listen to Mental Health Reboot and make mental health awareness an ongoing process, not just a monthly event. We all know someone who is suffering.
Together, we can help friends and family become ten percent happier.
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