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Mental Illness: A Cure for the Silent Killer
Main Featured Charity: Brain & Behavior Research Foundation
Mental Illness is one of the most life-crippling, socially destructive plagues this world has to offer. As of 2021, approximately 22.8% of U.S. adults (about 57.8 million people) experienced a mental illness. Of these, 5.5% (around 14.1 million people) had a serious mental illness. That’s nearly one in six people across America! Despite this, only 65.4% of people with a severe mental illness receive some form of treatment, with that number dropping to 47.2% for those with any form of a mental illness. Nearly 160 million live in areas with a shortage of mental health professionals. As for its most serious side effect: Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among individuals aged 10-14 and the 3rd leading cause among those aged 15-24. (Source: National Alliance on mental illness).
Globally speaking, over 1 billion people have some form of a mental illness with over 70% not receiving any professional help. Solutions are desperately needed! (Source for Global Statistics: World Health Organization).
Solution 1: we need more mental health professionals across the world. This means we need to make higher education free for those in the mental health profession in areas with the lowest amount of access to mental health professionals. Not only will this bring students & teachers to areas with the greatest area of need, but with their presence they will bring new perspectives & solutions along with them.
Solution 2: As for patients, healthcare providers MUST cover the cost for low income earners across the globe! Whether this means the government covers the cost or high earners in their respective countries pay a national health tax, those struggling the most financially MUST be covered for the sake of their lives & livelihoods.
Solution 3: Just as we have wonderful charities such as Doctors without Borders, we must have similar charities specifically dealing with mental health professionals traveling the world to places where there are the most severe shortages. Such a Charity is the MHPSS Network which does excellent work!!
Solution 4: Finally, while the U.S. and first world countries are doing an excellent job at erasing the stigma surrounding mental health, we must improve that trend worldwide! We must not only find it okay to seek help but encourage it! Testimonials must be shared & celebrated throughout the world!
This post was Assisted by research via ChatGPT
For Mental Health Situations Serious but not Fatal, Call the National Mental Health Hotline: