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CNN
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An overwhelming majority of Americans think the country has a mental health crisis, according to a new poll conducted by CNN in partnership with the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Nine in 10 adults say they believe there is a mental health crisis in America today. When asked to rate the severity of six specific mental health concerns, Americans ranked the opioid epidemic at the top, with more than two-thirds identifying it only as a problem. More than half identified mental health issues as a crisis in children and teenagers, as well as severe mental illness in adults.
The study surveyed a nationally representative sample of nearly 2,000 adults over the summer — including 2 1/2 years into the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing public health concerns. Racism and gun violence.
The broader concern is well founded, based on both personal experience and national trends.
Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, said: “The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated many social concerns that we know can increase the risk of substance use and mental illness.
Data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that drug overdose deaths will peak in 2021, and suicide rates are near record highs after a two-year decline. In the year In 2020, mental health-related emergency room visits increased 31% among 12- to 17-year-olds.
According to a CNN and KFF poll, nearly half of adults report experiencing a serious mental health crisis in their family, including physical therapy for themselves or other family members who are at risk, or family members engaged in self-harm. Affecting characteristics.
More than 1 in 5 adults describe their mental health as only “fair” or “poor,” including the largest shares of adults under 30, adults who identify as LGBT, and those with annual incomes below $40,000. One-third of all adults said they always or often felt anxious in the past year, including more than half of LGBT adults and those under 30. About 1 in 5 adults also said they were often anxious or lonely in the past year.
For a third or more adults, top sources of stress include personal finances and current and political events. About 1 in 4 adults also identified personal relationships and work as their main sources of stress, respectively.
About 1 in 5 adults received mental health services in the past year, according to a new survey. Earlier Data A study published by the CDC found that mental health treatment became more common during the pandemic, and showed that nearly 22% of adults received mental health treatment in 2021, up from about 19% in 2019.
“Perhaps the only benefit of the pandemic and the changes our country is going through is an increased willingness to speak up and talk when we are in need or need support,” said Sarah Brummett, director of the organization. Executive Committee of the National Action Coalition to Prevent Suicide.
“People are more willing to roll up their sleeves and talk about it and support people. And I think that’s progress.
Despite willingness and shared concerns among the community, he said, most adults with fair or poor mental health are uncomfortable talking about it with loved ones — some to protect privacy and some to avoid the stigma and stigma associated with dementia. Health issues.
But the majority — more than 4 in 5 — of those surveyed said that individuals and families should play an important role in solving mental health problems in America, as do health care providers.
Experts say that mental health is part of overall physical health and that there is an opportunity to expand understanding of how to respond to mental health crises.
“Not everyone is a cardiologist, but most people are trained in CPR,” says Justin Baker, MD, a psychologist and assistant professor at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. “If we rely solely on the power of mental health, we’ll keep going around in circles and get nowhere. I think we see this as all our problems.
However, groups in the United States who say they need mental health care are least likely to say they get it the most.
Nearly 6 in 10 adults who say their mental health is fair or poor say they don’t get the care they need, as do nearly half of adults under 30 and LGBT adults.
According to the CNN and KFF study, the most common reasons for those who went without help were being busy or busy with work, not being able to afford the costs, and being afraid or embarrassed to seek care.
President Joe Biden in his first speech of the union a A versatile strategy Addressing the nation’s mental health crisis, including goals to integrate mental health into primary care, investments in the workforce, and innovative approaches to programs that deliver care.
“Let’s get all Americans the mental health services they need, get more people to help them, and get the integrity between physical and mental health care,” he said in his address in March.
According to polls, most Americans see those issues as major problems. A majority of 55% say not having enough mental health providers is a big problem, three-quarters of insurers say not covering mental health over physical health is a big concern, and 80% say the same. About the cost of mental health care.
The Biden administration has invested in America’s rescue plan 5 billion dollars Through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, billions more are proposed in the upcoming budget for mental health and substance abuse programs.
A significant change came this summer, with a transition National Suicide Prevention Lifeline To the three-digit dialing code: 988. Early data suggests success, skipping calls. 45% in first month Compared to the same period a year ago.
But according to the new survey, there is still work to be done.
A majority of adults (85%) say they are at least slightly more likely to call a hotline if they or a loved one experiences a mental health crisis — and it’s a good alternative to 911, which nearly a quarter of adults, especially black and LGBT adults, say does more harm than good in the event of a mental health crisis. They say.
It also has the potential to help Hispanics and the uninsured, who above average say they don’t know who to call or where to find services if they have a mental health crisis.
However, more than half of adults in the new poll say they have heard “nothing” about the new 988 hotline.
“This is a preventable public health issue, and we all have a role to play,” Brummett said.
Fieldwork for the CNN/KFF Mental Health Survey was conducted by SSRS from July 28 to August 9 among a random national sample of 2,004 adults. In the poll, 1,603 adults were surveyed online using probability-based methods and 401 adults were randomly selected by digit dialing and reached directly by an interviewer via landline or cell phone. Results for the full sample have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
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