Abraham Suskind
MENTAL HEALTH IN YOUNG ADULTS
WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?
Young adults worldwide
- Suffer mental health issues at rates at least as high as older adults
- Often they don’t recognize the symptoms
- Often they don’t get treatment
- Early intervention can help young adults transition into their adult roles
Young adults are particularly hit hard by depression and suicide. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S. buts it’s the 2nd leading cause of death among people aged 15 – 24.
It’s a moral obligation to help
- Health is a basic human right
- There is no health without mental health
It’s good economics to help
- Treating anxiety and depression is effective and affordable
- Untreated, sufferers have reduced economic output and increased welfare payments
- World Health Organization estimates worldwide cost of lost production is $1 trillion per year
- Unhealthy behaviors associated with mental disorders (poor diet, little physical activity) lead to increased medical costs to treat cancer, heart disease, obesity
- “Good mental health enables people to realize their potential, cope with the normal stresses of life, work productively and contribute to their communities.” (Mnookin, 2016)
HOW ABOUT A FEW FACTS?
“Young adulthood is a time of heightened psychological vulnerability and onset of serious mental health disorders, a problem compounded by failure to recognize illness or to seek treatment. Recent data show that almost one-fifth of young adults aged 18-25 had a mental illness in the past year, and 4 percent had a serious mental illness. Yet two-thirds of those with a mental illness and almost half of those with a serious mental illness did not receive treatment.” (Bonnie, 2015)
“In 2017, 7.3 and 5.5 percent of young adults ages 18 to 24 and 25 to 29, respectively, reported experiencing two or more symptoms of depression in the past 30 days; for both age groups, this was an increase from 1998, when prevalence was 4.4 and 4.6 percent, respectively.
“Among young adults ages 18 to 24 living with a family member receiving SNAP benefits (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or food stamps), 13 percent reported symptoms of depression in 2017, compared with 6 percent among those with no family members receiving SNAP benefits.)
“In 2017, 3 percent of young adults ages 25 to 29 with at least a bachelor’s degree reported symptoms of depression, compared with 9 percent with only a high school diploma.
“In 2017, 25- to 29-year-olds who were not employed were more than twice as likely as their working peers to report symptoms of depression (10 and 4 percent, respectively).” (Child Trends, 2018)
“Suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people between 10 to 24.” (Suicide Prevention Lifeline)
“Depression is the leading cause of ill health and disability worldwide. More than 300 million people are now living with depression, an increase of more than 18% between 2005 and 2015.” (Mnookin, 2016)
“According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 75 percent of lifetime cases of mental health conditions begin by age 24. One in four young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 have a diagnosable mental illness. The brain is still developing and this may be the cause of the onset of some mental health conditions in college-age men and women.” (McLean Hospital)
“Up to 75 percent of college students with possible mental health issues do not seek help for what ails them.” (Center For Online Education, 2019)
“Worldwide 10-20% of children and adolescents experience mental disorders. Half of all mental illnesses begin by the age of 14 and three-quarters by mid-20s. Neuropsychiatric conditions are the leading cause of disability in young people in all regions. If untreated, these conditions severely influence children’s development, their educational attainments and their potential to live fulfilling and productive lives. Children with mental disorders face major challenges with stigma, isolation and discrimination, as well as lack of access to health care and education facilities, in violation of their fundamental human rights.” (World Health Organization, 2017)
“Mental health issues impose an enormous disease burden on societies across the world. Depression alone affects 350 million people globally and is the leading cause of disability worldwide. Despite its enormous social burden, mental disorders continue to be driven into the shadows by stigma, prejudice and fear. The issue is becoming ever more urgent in light of the forced migration and sustained conflict we are seeing in many countries of the world.” (World Bank, 2016)
“Combined 2010 to 2012 NSDUH data indicate that 1 in 10 older adolescents aged 16 to 17 had a major depressive episode (MDE) in the past year. One in five young adults aged 18 to 25 (18.7 percent) had any mental illness (AMI) in the past year and 3.9 percent had a serious mental illness (SMI).
“In the past year, 3.1 percent of older adolescents had co-occurring MDE and substance use disorder (SUD); 6.4 percent of young adults had co-occurring AMI and SUD, and 1.6 percent of young adults had co-occurring SMI and SUD.
“Among older adolescents with MDE, 60.1 percent did not receive treatment for depression in the past year. Among young adults with AMI, 66.6 percent did not receive mental health services in the past year. Among young adults with SMI, 47 percent did not receive treatment.
“Older adolescents with MDE and young adults with mental illness generally had poorer quality of life than those without mental illness.” (SAMHSA, 2014)
“[Government Accounting Office] GAO estimates that at least 2.4 million young adults aged 18 through 26—or 6.5 percent of the non-institutionalized young adults in that age range— had a serious mental illness in 2006, and they had lower levels of education on average than other young adults. The actual number is likely to be higher than 2.4 million because homeless, institutionalized, and incarcerated persons were not included in this estimate—groups with potentially high rates of mental illness. Among those with serious mental illness, nearly 90 percent had more than one mental disorder, and they had significantly lower rates of high school graduation and postsecondary education. GAO also found that about 186,000 young adults received SSA disability benefits in 2006 because of a mental illness that prevented them from engaging in substantial, gainful activity.
“We [GAO] were not able to estimate the number of young adults in certain vulnerable populations who have a serious mental illness, although the available research suggests that rates of mental illness are high in these groups. These vulnerable populations include young adults transitioning out of the foster care system—who may have limited family support for their struggle with serious mental illness—and young adults who become homeless or incarcerated.” (GAO, 2008)
“Mental well-being is a fundamental component of WHO's definition of health. Good mental health enables people to realize their potential, cope with the normal stresses of life, work productively, and contribute to their communities. . . . There is also substantial concurrence of mental disorders and substance use disorders. Taken together, mental, neurological and substance use disorders exact a high toll, accounting for 13% of the total global burden of disease in the year 2004. Depression alone accounts for 4.3% of the global burden of disease and is among the largest single causes of disability worldwide [11 % of all years lived with disability globally], particularly for women. The economic consequences of these health losses are equally large: a recent study estimated that the cumulative global impact of mental disorders in terms of lost economic output will amount to US$ 16.3 million million [$16.3 trillion] between 2011 and 2030.” (World Health Organization, 2013)
“Depression and anxiety disorders also have a negative effect on the ability of students to learn and study. This has been shown to be true for children in elementary school all the way up to young adults in college. What’s more, 75% of lifetime mental disorders have first onset by ages 18-24. Integrating mental health treatment into standard pediatric and adolescent health care would not only improve students’ learning outcomes, it would also present an opportunity to establish a treatment regimen that could allow children and young adults to get what could be a lifelong affliction under control.
“Stigma associated with mental disorders can result in social isolation, low self-esteem, and more limited chances in areas such as employment, education and housing. It can also hinder patients seeking help, thereby increasing the treatment gap for mental disorders. What’s more, stigma can result in a general reluctance to invest resources in mental health care and discrimination among medical professionals, with negative consequences on the quality of mental health services delivered. For all of these reasons, anti-stigma campaigns can be powerful tools in confronting mental disorders.” (Mnookin, 2016)
WHY DO I CARE?
I care because I have been affected personally by mental health disorders since I was 14. I struggled getting through my days in high school and would continuously think about suicide or ways to get out of the pain but couldn't find help. I went looking for help from friends and family and then it got to the point where I felt like I had no outlet and I attempted suicide. It was at this point my family realized they needed to get me professional medical help. I decided to go and accept medical help. Going and seeing professionals was one of the hardest decisions I have had to make in my life, and it was for the better. I have been battling depression for over 10 years and I am doing much better due to the help of medical professionals such as psychiatrists and therapists.
I chose this issue because there are so many people going through the same thing I went through, except nobody talks about it. People are ashamed of it and feel like they will be looked down on or have a negative aspect to themselves if they identify as struggling with mental health.
WHAT DOES THE COMMUNITY THINK?
"Today in society we don't talk about mental health in young adults, we used to talk about mental health for old people. When I was younger, about 6 years ago I felt alone, I had many friends but nobody with I could talk about my problems, and the same thing with my family. I attempted suicide because I felt alone, and nobody can understand this feeling when you are in this situation. Everyone around me tried to tell me that I was lucky to be alive, but in my eyes I wasn't lucky at all. I tried to see a psychologist to find a solution to this problem because I knew that these thoughts weren't normal. After talking to a psychologist I found out that the thing that helped me the most was talking to people with the same experiences as me. I ended up starting medication and I feel a lot better and stable. I think that some people are weaker than others and we don't have to be ashamed about that. We don't have to be afraid to ask for help and society should talk about it. I like that people can be informed about and issue such as this through a blog post."
"I have personally been affected by mental health in young adults through my family members. I believe It is something that people try to hide and not come to terms with. People should be accepting of the fact that mental health is a problem and that people don't get to chose to have or not have. I believe that everyone should be given equal chances and opportunities no matter what they suffer from but this is not always the case."
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Lobby your elected officials. Universal health care INCLUDING mental health care is strongly advocated by the World Health Organization. Tell your elected officials you want it.
Get educated. Become more informed.
Participate in National Prevention Week May 12 – 18, 2019, sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (SAMHSA, 2014)
Fight the stigma. Bring sunshine to the problem.
Learn and look out for signs of mental illness in yourself and others. Seek help if you need it. Provide peer support and encourage others to get help.
WHAT ARE SOME RESOURCES FOR HELP?
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255
24/7 free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals
SAMSA National Helpline 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
24/7 free and confidential 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish) for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders. (Suicide Prevention Lifeline)
REFERENCES
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“Adolescents and Mental Health.” World Health Organization, World Health Organization, 9 Apr. 2017, www.who.int/maternal_child_adolescent/topics/adolescence/mental_health/en/.
Bonnie, Richard J. “Summary.” Investing in the Health and Well-Being of Young Adults., U.S. National Library of Medicine, 27 Jan. 2015, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK284776/.
Center For Online Education. “Mental Health Guide for College Students.” OnlineColleges.net, 11 Feb. 2019, www.onlinecolleges.net/for-students/mental-health-resources/.
GAO. Https://Www.gao.gov/New.items/d08678.Pdf, 2008, www.gao.gov/new.items/d08678.pdf.
Marcus, Madalyn A, et al. “What Are Young Adults Saying about Mental Health? An Analysis of Internet Blogs.” Journal of Medical Internet Research, Gunther Eysenbach, 30 Jan. 2012, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3374526/.
McLean Hospital. “Young Adult Mental Health.” Young Adult Mental Health | McLean Hospital, www.mcleanhospital.org/young-adult-mental-health.
Mnookin, Seth. “Out of The Shadows: Making Mental Health A Global Development Priority.” Https://Www.who.int/mental_health/Advocacy/wb_background_paper.Pdf?Ua=1, 2016, www.who.int/mental_health/advocacy/wb_background_paper.pdf?ua=1.
“NAMI.” NAMI, 2019, www.nami.org/Find-Support/Teens-and-Young-Adults.
“Out of the Shadows: Making Mental Health a Global Priority.” World Bank, 2016, www.worldbank.org/en/events/2016/03/09/out-of-the-shadows-making-mental-health-a-global-priority#1.
Rapaport, Lisa. “Parents Often Don't Know When Teens Have Suicidal Thoughts.” Reuters, Thomson Reuters, 14 Jan. 2019, www.reuters.com/article/us-health-teens-suicide/parents-often-dont-know-when-teens-have-suicidal-thoughts-idUSKCN1P82LV.
SAMHSA. “Mental Health Challenges Found among Older Teens and Young Adults.” SAMHSA News - Mental Health Challenges Found among Older Teens and Young Adults, 2014, www.samhsa.gov/samhsaNewsletter/Volume_22_Number_3/mental_health_challenges/.
“Statistics.” National Institute of Mental Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/index.shtml.
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“Ten Leading Causes of Death and Injury - PDFs|Injury Center|CDC.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/LeadingCauses.html.
Villano, Larry, et al. “The Teen Suicide Rate Has More than Doubled: Here's How You Can Help Save Your Child.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 8 June 2018, www.usatoday.com/story/life/allthemoms/2018/06/08/teen-suicide-how-help/685853002/.
World Health Organization . “Mental Health Plan 2013-2020.” Https://Apps.who.int/Iris/Bitstream/Handle/10665/89966/9789241506021_eng.Pdf;Jsessionid=DF171002AB93B39F2EBE6ACB2AEB06DB?Sequence=1, 2013, apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/89966/9789241506021_eng.pdf;jsessionid=DF171002AB93B39F2EBE6ACB2AEB06DB?sequence=1.
“Young Adult Depression.” Child Trends, 2018, www.childtrends.org/indicators/young-adult-depression.
“Youth.” Lifeline, suicidepreventionlifeline.org/help-yourself/youth/.
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