Posted on January 14, 2022
Reuters
States have known 988, scheduled to go live on July 16, was coming and that they would be responsible for making it work. But 988 implementation laws that include fee measures to pay for the expected increase in calls have been passed by only four states - Virginia, Nevada, Washington and Colorado, according to NAMI. Few states have resources such as mobile crisis teams in place to respond to calls for help. Statewide crisis services are available or are being ramped up in Virginia, Utah, Oregon, Washington, Nevada and Colorado, according to NAMI. "In some places, you're probably in good shape," said Hannah Wesolowski, NAMI chief advocacy officer. "You could call 988 and there are going to be mobile crisis teams and a pretty robust crisis infrastructure. But in other places, good luck."
READ MOREPosted on January 13, 2022
Inside Higher Ed
Almost nine in 10 college students think campuses are facing a mental health crisis, according to a new survey from TimelyMD. The survey of nearly 1,700 college students found that 88% believe there is a mental health crisis on college campuses. “With the Omicron variant, the uncertainty and isolation that we saw at the beginning of the pandemic really is back,” said Barb Solish, director of youth and young adult initiatives at NAMI. “And our students are struggling because of it. So, bottom line, how can we reasonably expect them to be back to ‘normal’ when life is anything but that?” College mental health systems were underfunded, understaffed and underprioritized before the pandemic started, Solish said, and they’re stretched even thinner now given the increased demand for their services. “Schools really need to recognize that it’s time to invest in the total well-being of their students,” Solish said.
READ MOREPosted on January 13, 2022
Today.com
Breakups are a fact of life. Whether your connection is friendly, romantic or professional, many relationships run their course including with a therapist. “Therapy is often life-changing,” said Dr. Christine Crawford, associate medical director of NAMI. “Some patients come riddled with anxieties, depression, and self-doubt and leave with a fresh perspective, new insights and a variety of tools and strategies to better cope with the world around them.” Crawford warns that “therapy is not a one-size-fits-all model,” and that therapists need to adapt to accommodate the patient and their unique needs. Crawford advises that trust is crucial to a successful outcome in therapy. “If you’re ever worried about being totally honest with your therapist, that’s a red flag,” she said. “There’s nothing wrong with telling your therapist that something they told you doesn’t sit well or sound right to you. If doing so makes them at all combative, it’s OK to not return,” Crawford said.
READ MOREPosted on January 12, 2022
USA Today
In an opinion piece, NAMI Youth Ambassador Alaina Stanisci shares her personal experience and perspective on youth mental health issues. Alaina wrote: Seemingly out of nowhere, when I was 10 years old, I developed severe anorexia nervosa that almost killed me, and my whole world was flipped upside down. So many of my peers have told me that they also felt as if they had to shield their emotions from everybody else and continue going through the motions of life as if nothing was ever wrong. However, whether it's anxiety, depression, anorexia, bipolar disorder or anything else, we have seen that bottling up these emotions will lead to more collateral damage in the end. When somebody breaks their arm, they are treated with empathy and kindness and do not feel that they have to hide their injury. Why does somebody with mental illness not feel that they deserve this same empathy and kindness? I believe that the key to ending the mental health epidemic among teens is to normalize the struggle, educate those around us and be vulnerable about our struggles.”
READ MOREPosted on January 12, 2022
Bloomberg Law
Resource-strapped call centers anticipate a burst of demand in July when the new 988 national suicide prevention hotline number goes live. But a lack of funds to help meet that demand is delaying efforts to publicize the service. The federal government must invest in public awareness, but the priority is to ensure that when people in need call there are the resources available to help, NAMI chief advocacy officer Hannah Wesolowski said. A nationwide public awareness campaign likely won’t take place until late 2022 or early 2023, Wesolowski said.
READ MOREPosted on January 10, 2022
PEW Trust/Stateline
Hundreds of thousands of kids have lost a parent or primary caregiver to COVID-19 and need support services, mental health experts say, with communities of color particularly devastated. Psychologists say this loss has caused an uptick in anxiety, depression, trauma- and stress-related disorders in some children. "As we move forward through this pandemic, I don't want people to feel as though, if the pandemic is getting better, then the youth mental health issue will go away," said Dr. Christine Crawford, associate medical director of NAMI. "The reality is that's not the case, because this crisis preexisted COVID. And it's even more dire in these rural areas because there is hardly any mental health support in place."
READ MOREPosted on January 10, 2022
Philadelphia Inquirer
In an opinion piece, NAMI CEO Daniel Gillison wrote: The pandemic has hit people hard — especially their mental health. As the CEO of the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization, I know that we have to act urgently to avoid traumatic outcomes. Our failure to treat mental health crises leads to people cycling in and out of jails and emergency rooms, homelessness — or worse. The launch in July of 988, a new crisis hotline number, gives us a chance to put services into place that can help, but we have to act now. The NAMI HelpLine has experienced a 185% increase in calls related to suicide and a 251% increase in calls related to mental health crises compared with pre-pandemic times. After 20 months of COVID-19, there's never been a more critical time to invest in a new crisis response system.
READ MOREPosted on January 6, 2022
WTSP 10 Tampa Bay: FL
By July 16, 2022, there will be a nationwide hotline to help with mental health crises and suicide prevention. “Once fully implemented, 988 will save lives and is a critical component to ensuring people in crisis are diverted from involvement in the criminal justice system and connected to appropriate services and supports,” said NAMI CEO Daniel H. Gillison, Jr.
READ MOREPosted on January 3, 2022
Gray TV Syndicated
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) reports one in six U.S. youth, ages 6-17, experience a mental health disorder every year. NAMI claims half of those conditions start by age 14 with behavior problems, anxiety, and depression among the issues most commonly diagnosed. NAMI added only around half of students with mental health conditions actually received treatment in the past year. “Go to the pediatrician as the first place to start in order to get [kids] that mental health care that they need,” said Dr. Christine Crawford, associate medical director for NAMI, who urged parents to watch for signs that their child is irritable or withdrawn. “Talk to your child about what’s going on, instead of just assuming that it’s normal teenage behavior or normal young people behavior,” she said. Crawford emphasized school districts are key in providing early identification and prevention as the pandemic presents new challenges for children who may feel isolated or anxious.
READ MOREPosted on December 22, 2021
HealthDay
Americans may be dropping some of the stigma they once had toward depression, but attitudes toward other mental health conditions still seem stuck in the past, a new study shows. The research, based on interviews with U.S. adults conducted over 22 years, found a mixed bag when it came to mental health stigma. In recent years, people were less likely to want to avoid someone with depression, versus two decades ago. The picture was different with alcohol dependence and schizophrenia, however. The findings regarding depression are encouraging, said Dr. Christine Crawford, associate medical director of NAMI. "If people see that there is less stigma toward depression, maybe even more will be willing to talk about it, and seek help," said Crawford. In contrast, the regression in attitudes toward schizophrenia and alcohol dependence is concerning, Crawford said. "What people don't realize is, it's rare for people with schizophrenia to commit violence," Crawford said. "More often, they're victims of violence." Such stigmatization does matter, Lead Author Pescosolido said: For people living with psychiatric disorders, it can take a toll on their quality of life and be a major obstacle in recovery. Crawford agreed. "As a society, we need to shift our mindset about how we treat and talk about people with mental illness," she said.
READ MORENAMI HelpLine is available M-F, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. ET. Call 800-950-6264,
text “helpline” to 62640, or chat online. In a crisis, call or text 988 (24/7).
