This is a wake-up call. Colorado is in a full-blown mental health crisis.
I wish that I were exaggerating.
We’ve heard this so much that we might be jaded. But do we really know what mental health entails?
Mental health refers to well-being expressed in emotions, behavior, habits and ability to understand and cope with life. Health in this area shows itself in an individual feeling worth about their own abilities and characteristics. A person with mental health is productive and able to cope appropriately with the stress of living while contributing to their community.
So, mental illness can be a lack of mental/emotional well-being expressed in negative emotions, behavior, habits and an inability to understand and to cope with life. Illness in this area shows itself in an individual feeling worthless about their abilities and characteristics.
Sometimes a person with mental illness is not productive because they can not cope appropriately with the stress of working. Or living. Sometimes the mentally ill person feels isolated or unable to contribute to their community.
These definitions are hardly set in stone. But we can see from the data that mental illness is exponentially on the rise in Colorado. Axis Integrated Mental Health is sounding the alarm. The mental health care system publishes a blog that has an annual report with national rankings of health in every state in America.
This organization takes a thoughtful approach in reporting data looking at patients in treatment with: thoughts of suicide, diagnosed mental illness, uninsured patients, substance abuse disorders, and various factors affecting access to care for those patients.
Keep in mind that this report is only of people who admit to being mentally unwell and seek treatment. Treatment centers, staff and other professionals give the data that is examined.
Their latest report by Axis Integrated Mental Health was published about two weeks ago. In 2023, our national ranking compared with other states was 30. Today Colorado’s overall mental health ranking has dropped to 46.
This decline over one year is massive. However, the drop for children is much worse. Our state used to be a leader in addressing youth mental illness, with programs such as IMatter.com.
We have lost that position. Colorado saw its ranking of mental health among youth move from 21 all the way down to 44.
Are you paying attention? This increase in mental illness would be awful over a decade. But these numbers track a mere 365 days.
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I can see how you might feel like a psychiatric provider would have a reason to inflate these numbers. I considered that too. So, I traced some of the data sources.
Mental Health America is dedicated to the promotion of mental health. This national organization has been working for many years gathering and providing up-to-date data and information about challenges faced by individuals with mental health problems. They confirm the national ranking.
National Alliance on Mental Illness Colorado is also a well-respected organization that has confirmed that 1 in 5 among Colorado adults has a mental health condition. That is at least 924,000 adults in Colorado.
The data is not at issue.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness tells us that everyone has some risk of developing a mental health disorder. But some common risk factors like familial or hereditary illness add to the risk of getting ill. In addition, social and financial pressures increase the risk of becoming unwell.
Are you alarmed yet?
Colorado is experiencing those pressures. Family pathologies for many citizens include violence, addiction and mental health disorders. Financial pressures include high rents, out of control inflation and unaffordable gas and food.
Social pressures include censoring and canceling of anyone who disagrees with the cultural factors changing laws. In fact, our lawmaking increases social pressures for parents, business owners, landlords and basically anyone in a position of responsibility.
Our laws also encourage criminals and frustrate law-abiding citizens. No wonder, that Colorado went from middle of the pack in mental health — to close to the bottom. In one year.
All under one-party rule. We have hoped for increased safety in this state. Now we have to hope and pray for increased SANITY in this state.
Or vote for it.
Rachel Stovall is an event manager, entertainer and community advocate.
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Publish date : 2024-10-02 00:00:00
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