Articles
When most people think about health, they often think about physical health and being of a person. People often think about the outer appearance of a human being and how the body is functioning. However, there is more to medical health than simply the physical health of an individual. Mental illness is fairly common. In fact, 1 in 5 adults in the US have experienced mental illness in 2018. Mental health is another major component of how a human functions. Oftentimes in the medical industry, mental health resources are less accessible for a greater number of people.
An assumption a lot of people make is that mental health problems simply equate to either anxiety or depression when there are actually way more mental problems someone can face. Body dysmorphia, eating disorders, schizophrenia, and sleep paralysis, all stem from mental health problems. Another common misconception people have is how only teens and young adults are primarily affected by mental health problems. However, all ages are affected in different ways. From young children dealing with anxiety and ADHD to adults that have bipolar disorder, every age group has their own mental health problems that they face. With the pandemic, the need for proper mental health resources has only increased as the isolation has made it harder to access mental health resources. Numerous counseling, support groups, and therapy sessions have moved online, making it harder to connect. Eating disorders within teens and young adults are skyrocketing, many people relapsing from disorders like bulimia and anorexia.
Unfortunately, access to mental health resources and support services were still inadequate pre-pandemic. Therapy and counseling sessions are high and only affordable to those who are privileged enough. Without insurance, therapy can cost up to $100 an hour, making it difficult for people with financial problems to attain. 56% of adults cannot afford or get access to these mental health services. With the aspect that mental health is known to be taboo and less prioritized, many affluent families refuse or put off mental health care even if they have the means to get help. Although there are some complimentary mental health services, they aren’t accessible to the general public and aren’t the best of quality and service.
One example of a free mental health service is the National Suicide Hotline, a free number, or chat system that allows people in need to communicate with a trained professional. Unfortunately, there have been many calls made that are handled poorly; such as long waiting times on hold, and unsatisfying or insensitive responses being given through the hotline. Regardless of the circumstance, this service is supposed to help callers through a crisis, which it fails to do at times. Since the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic, calling rates nationally have increased 47%, making it even harder to reach a crisis professional. Current mental health care resources don’t fully take care of and reach everyone in need. It is crucial that others educate themselves about the importance of mental health how unfortunately it affects others that lack access to care and proper care.
Crisis hotlines can only do so much, as often a crisis call is a one time call that is made, while counseling is more effective. Counseling allows repetitive check-ins with patients, preventing crises, while crisis hotlines are mainly effective for the moment, but not long term. Fortunately, there are some emerging mental health resources available for free counseling online. Websites and organizations like Better Help are offering online counseling sessions that are available for teens, kids, and adults. Another organization known as Open Counseling offers low cost or free counseling for adults, socially distanced in the comfort of their own homes. Even though this is an opportunity that gives people access to mental health resources, not everyone would be educated or informed about it. Low-income communities would not be able to take advantage of this resource and end up not being educated about it when it is supposed to benefit them the most. Mental health education is another thing that we are lacking in schools and communities.
Thankfully, there are many solutions that people are trying to come up with to fix these issues in the United States. Socio-emotional learning is being tested and introduced in order to teach students more about the social and emotional issues happening today. Progress is being made to make mental health education more normalized in the US, and hopefully, as time passes, it will be more normalized in other countries as well.
https://edrcsv.org/radio-interview-helping-with-eating-disorders-during-a-pandemic/
https://www.rd.com/article/suicide-hotline/
https://wwmt.com/news/local/calls-to-suicide-hotlines-rise-during-covid-19-pandemic