Posted on October 24, 2023
The Washington Post
Young adults in the U.S. experience anxiety and depression twice as frequently as teenagers, according to a new survey report by the Harvard University Making Caring Common project. The high levels of mental illness reflect the current challenging conditions for entering adulthood. For the first time since the Great Depression, the most common living arrangement for people in their 20s is with one or both parents. “Transitioning to independence and to adulthood has been pretty hard for our young people nowadays,” said Christine Crawford, NAMI associate medical director and psychiatrist. “There are a lot of concerns that have to do with finances, as well as uncertainty about what their future could bring.”
READ MOREPosted on October 24, 2023
WBUR
Dr. Christine Crawford, NAMI associate medical director, said the report's findings correspond with what she sees in her practice. "This transitional period [to adulthood] has always been the same, but young people [now] are consistently being inundated by messages of what's happening to the world, the environment, and that's further fueling some of the mood-related symptoms they're experiencing," she said. Crawford added that heightened anxiety among parents and the trend in recent decades of an "all hands-on deck, micromanaging" style of parenting have led to young people not being as well prepared to enter adulthood.
READ MOREPosted on October 18, 2023
The Hill
A lack of funding and resources can prevent Americans from getting the mental health care they need, experts say. Lawmakers, mental health experts and advocates joined together to discuss how stigmas associated with mental health can be broken and how to build a comprehensive health care system that supports individuals affected by mental illness, among other topics. The lawmakers seemingly agreed that the lack of resources makes it more difficult for those who need help to receive it, and that a larger investment into mental health is necessary. “Mental Health doesn’t look Republican, it doesn’t look Democratic, it doesn’t look independent, it looks like all of us,” NAMI CEO Daniel Gillison said.
Posted on October 16, 2023
NBC News NOW
Sens. Padilla and Tillis bonded over their experiences caring for loved ones undergoing mental health crises. Their conversations transformed into action when, a few months later, they launched the bipartisan Mental Health Caucus that, for the first time, would focus solely on the issue. The U.S. is in a mental health crisis, according to NAMI, the country’s largest grassroots mental health organization, which has partnered with the new Senate caucus. “In the last few years, we have seen a massive increase in what people need. There are so many more people who are recognizing that they’re struggling with their mental health, and there are so many more people who are having those symptoms of mental health conditions,” said Hannah Wesolowski, NAMI CAO.
READ MOREPosted on October 11, 2023
WebMD
Personal story by Dawn Brown, National Director of NAMI HelpLine Services: “My son, Matthew, was rare in that he was diagnosed at 8 years old. Most often, schizophrenia manifests in the late teens or early 20s. At 18, he had a psychotic break and required hospitalization. Eventually he found treatment that was effective, but it took quite a while. Once we found something that seemed to address his symptoms on several levels, he became treatment-compliant by taking his medication on schedule. But medication is a small part of the treatment plan. He’s also keeping his appointments with his psychiatrist and therapist and doing what he can to maintain his overall health and wellness. He’s 38 now. He enjoys his life. He has friends. He has places he goes during the day that keeps him engaged with others. But it’s been a journey. There will be many ups and downs. Over time it does get better. An engaged, informed loved one is often the best indicator of the outcome for a person with schizophrenia.
READ MOREPosted on October 10, 2023
Good Morning America
Research released earlier this year shows that parents and teenagers are suffering from anxiety and depression at nearly the same rate. Dr. Christine Crawford, NAMI associate medical director, said she's seeing a rise not only in the number of kids with mental health struggles, but also in the number of parents and caregivers who are trying to help them. Crawford said, "Parents continue to see their kid struggling, and they're like, 'I'm putting in all this time and I'm not seeing the change,' and therefore they feel that it reflects poorly on them as a parent but then also on them as a person ... all these negative thoughts start to afflict them." Crawford said that given the crisis she sees amongst both kids and parents, she uses the beginning of each therapy appointment to simply ask the parent or caregiver how they are doing. "The reality is that kids are spending the majority of their time with their caregiver, not with us as practitioners," Crawford said. "So the work that we are doing as providers is not going to be 100% successful if we know that we're sending our kids home to an environment in which their caregivers are struggling each and every day."
Posted on October 3, 2023
Essence
Recently, GSUSA announced the launch of mental wellness programming in partnership with NAMI, helping girls nationwide. Studies show that girls are disproportionally affected by the increasing mental health crisis in America. NAMI data reveals that nearly 90% of parents prioritize their child’s mental health over academic achievement. “NAMI is proud to support Girl Scouts’ effort to raise awareness for mental health and well-being with the patch program,” said NAMI CEO Daniel H. Gillison, Jr. “The reach and ability to support girls across age groups with tailored resources and activities is incredibly valuable not only for the girls but also for parents and caregivers. We hope by making it easier to talk generally about mental health with a trusted adult; girls will feel more at ease sharing concerns or asking questions.”
READ MOREPosted on September 30, 2023
The Hill
Opinion piece co-authored by NAMI CEO Daniel Gillison and Kris Brown, president of Brady, about finding solutions to the gun violence crisis in America and the importance of not misrepresenting mental illness in the process. Mental health conditions are common around the globe, yet Americans kill each other with guns at 25 times the rate of other high-income countries. Most gun deaths are not the result of mass violence but are the result of suicide. Gun suicides account for over half of all gun deaths in the U.S. each year. Suicide rates reached a record high in 2022, with about 49,500 suicide deaths and more than half (26,993) the result of firearms. This number represents the majority of all gun deaths. Tragically, it is also a record high for gun-related suicides. Mental health is not the cause of gun violence in America, and we must stop viewing it as the root of this crisis. Together, if we shift our culture and amend our understanding of the relationship between mental health and guns, we can save lives.
READ MOREPosted on September 27, 2023
WebMD
George Kaufmann described difficulties he and his wife faced dealing with an adult child with mental illness. “As parents and family members, we got frustrated. We didn’t know what to do,” he said. “We didn’t have experience dealing with mental illness. We repeatedly did stuff that didn’t work or made things worse.” NAMI CMO Ken Duckworth, MD, agrees that being a caregiver to an adult child with mental illness is one of the most difficult things a parent can face. One of the most common feelings that parents of adult children with mental illness face is the sense that no one understands what they’re going through, Duckworth said. They feel lost, not knowing where to turn for practical and emotional support. To address these concerns, Duckworth wrote the book, You Are Not Alone: The NAMI Guide to Navigating Mental Health. Duckworth encourages parents to attend the NAMI Family-to-Family program — an 8-week group run by family members of people with mental illness — which offers education about topics such as effective communication, self-care, compassionate support of one’s family member, and locating resources. People can share what they’re going through and find emotional support. Kaufmann, whose story was told in the book, went to his first meeting of the group 25 years ago.
Posted on September 13, 2023
HealthDay
Among those who reported at least five of the seven healthy habits, the risk of depression was 57% lower, versus people who adhered to no more than one. Healthy habits appeared powerful -- guarding people against depression regardless of their genetic risk. The study findings do not prove cause-and-effect, but they are "compelling," said Dr. Ken Duckworth, NAMI CMO. He noted that the genetics of depression are complex and have not been "nailed down," so the risk scores assigned in this study have limitations. But the bottom-line message is a positive one, Duckworth said: "You're not helpless vis-a-vis your genes." Although the findings point to the power of having many healthy habits, Duckworth said that people can focus on the "small wins" each day. "Going for a walk in the park is doable for most people, even if they feel like they don't have the energy or the motivation," he said. Plus, small steps can lead to other changes: If you're more active, you might sleep better. "These things all build on each other," Duckworth said.
NAMI 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).
