Celebrate World Mental Health Day

Imagine waking up each morning feeling hopeless. Or maybe that you had no reason to live. For those of us who have busy days and lead purposeful lives, this can be hard to do. But did you know 280 million people in the world suffer from depression? And depression is just one of the mental health disorders our friends, family members and co-workers could face. In America, almost half of all adults will – at some point – experience a mental health episode, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of those suffering from a mental health disorder, only half will get the treatment they need. Clearly, we need to do better, and that’s what World Mental Health Day is all about. October 10, 2023, is a day to raise awareness about mental health issues globally and to support organizations, like Great Life Mentoring,  that promote good mental health. 

Mental Health STATS

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIH), mental health illnesses are split into two categories:

• Any mental illness is a mental, behavioral or emotional disorder that ranges in impact from no impairment to severe impairment. 

• Serious mental illness is a mental, behavioral or emotional disorder that causes serious impairment and substantially interferes with a person’s normal activities.  

In the US, 22.8% of adults (anyone over 18) suffer from any mental illness, and 5.5% suffer from serious mental illness, (NIH, 2021).

Even worse are the statistics for youth mental health. Young adults (ages 18-25) have the highest percentages of both any mental illness (44.6%) and serious mental illness (11.4%), compared to adults over 26 in both categories.

And what about children ages 3-17? According  to a National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report 2022,  20% of children in this age range have mental health illnesses – an increase of more than 40% in the decade before 2019! Worse still, the report shows “Mental health challenges were the leading cause of death and disability in this age group.” From 2008 to 2020 alone, death by suicide in people 12 and over increased by 16%. It is now the second leading cause of death in children ages 10-14, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

And, according to the Centers for Disease Control, the percentage of youth with depression, anxiety and behavior disorders increases as they age (with the exception of behavior disorders in the 12-17 age range). This makes sense when we remember  half of all Americans will experience a mental health episode in their lifetime. In fact, according to the National Center for Children in Poverty, “Roughly half of all lifetime mental health disorders start by the mid-teens.”

But what if we could help prevent youth mental health illness? This would not only lower the percentages of children with mental illnesses but subsequently adults as well.    

We need to do better for our youth…

COVID-19 Caused More Stress in Youth

The COVID-19 pandemic was stressful for everyone. Some of us lost family members, others lost jobs. We suffered horrible illness. We became isolated and even afraid. Most adults can cope with these events – which are often part of life – when they come one at a time. But  compounded, they  caused emotional strain that was a lot to handle all at once.

Youth were no exception, In fact, they were one of the groups most affected. Suddenly they were told they could not go to school or see friends – two things that are vital to a young person’s mental health. A report published by the National Library of Medicine found COVID-19 caused 48% of youth to experience high levels of depression and 51% felt anxiety. 

Another report by the Centers for Disease Control in 2022 found even more startling statistics:

• 37% of high school students report poor mental health

• 44% felt sad or hopeless in the past year

• 55% experienced emotional abuse by an adult in the home

• 11% experienced physical abuse by an adult in the home

Mental health illnesses were already a problem for our youth, and COVID-19 made it worse, especially for youth living in poverty. For many of these kids, school is more than just education, like their only guaranteed meal, peer connection and an opportunity for adult guidance. Mental health illnesses in youth are also linked to potentially self-harming behaviors, including increased drug use, violence and higher-risk sexual behaviors. 

We can do better…

Youth Living in Poverty More Likely to Have Mental Health Issues

21% of children in the US live in households with incomes below 125% of the federal poverty level. Low income has been consistently linked to greater risks for mental health issues. According to the National Center for Children in Poverty, 57% of children and youth with mental health illnesses come from homes living at or below the federal poverty level. The added stress of living at or below the poverty level affects everyone in the household, not just adults. In addition, due to limited resources, members of these households are less likely to receive help for mental health concerns. 

We need to do better for those lacking in resources…

Vancouver, Wash. Youth Mentoring: World Mental Health Day Fundraiser

And doing better is just what World Mental Health Day and Great Life Mentoring are all about! Our evidence-based mentoring program helps children ages 7-18 make the human connection that is so important – now more than ever, post-pandemic – with a trained adult mentor.  Our program is proven to help significantly improve mental health issues by giving youth the care and support they need. 

In the Surgeon General’s “Advisory on Protecting Youth Mental Health,” the top recommendations include access to affordable mental health care, addressing economic and social barriers and supporting the mental health of youth in community, education and childcare settings. 

Great Life Mentoring is meeting these needs by providing evidence-based mentoring for youth in the Vancouver, Washington area. But it’s time to expand to help more youth in other areas. It’s time to do better!

And what better day to say, “Yes! I can help us be better!” than World Mental Health Day? This year’s theme is “Mental Health is a Universal Human Right.” And we couldn’t agree more.

Please join us in bringing hope, well-being and a sense of belonging to children facing adversity by financially supporting Great Life Mentoring this World Mental Health Day. Your tax-deductible donation will help us reach more kids from low-resource families in other areas who are facing mental health challenges.

Preventing mental health illness improves society in many ways. In particular, mental health illness costs taxpayers billions annually. The Federal Government alone spent $280 billion on treating mental health disorders in 2020. Our program costs a fraction of this, just $280,000 annually. Help end the cycle by investing in our youth through evidence-based services.

And, for World Mental Health Day, your dollar goes further, as the Great Life Mentoring Board of Directors is matching donations up to $5,300. Helping improve mental health for youth has never been easier, just follow this link to donate today.

“Anything that’s human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable. When we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting, and less scary.” - Fred Rogers