October is a busy month filled with various mental health wellness initiatives. Kicking off the first week, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and participants across the country raise awareness of mental illness, fight discrimination, and provide support through Mental Illness Awareness Week from October 1st through October 7th. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) started in 1979 as a small group of families focused on mental health. Since then, NAMI has grown into a key voice for mental illness awareness and advocacy. In 1990, Congress declared the first week of October as Mental Illness Awareness Week to honor NAMI’s work.
The recognition continues with World Mental Health Day taking place on October 10th. World Mental Health Day was first observed on October 10th, 1992, as an initiative by the World Federation for Mental Health. It was started by Deputy Secretary-General Richard Hunter to raise global awareness about mental health and inspire action for lasting change. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the main objective of World Mental Health Day is to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and to mobilize efforts in support of mental health.
Now more than ever, we’re seeing a rising importance of addressing mental illness in youth, particularly in the wake of societal changes and growing awareness. WYS seeks to educate on the types of mental illness, prevalence in youth, the challenges associated, resources for screening and support, and WYS’s role in the community.
Types of Mental Illness in Youth
According to the CDC, ADHD, anxiety problems, behavior problems, and depression are the most commonly diagnosed mental disorders in children. Estimates for ever having a diagnosis among children aged 3-17 years, in 2016-19, are given below.
- ADHD 9.8% (approximately 6.0 million)
- Anxiety 9.4% (approximately 5.8 million)
- Behavior problems 8.9% (approximately 5.5 million)
- Depression 4.4% (approximately 2.7 million)
A large factor in developing a mental illness as a child is their exposure to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). ACEs, as explained by the CDC, are potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood – 0-17 years. While ACE’s are circumstantial and not quite fully preventable, there are some things you can do to build resilience and combat the negative impact of the ACEs. The American Psychological Association suggests helping your child build resilience by: teaching the importance of basic self-care, show them how to set achievable goals and guide them in taking small steps toward reaching those goals and help them to keep things in perspective and maintain a hopeful outlook.
Prevalence of Mental Illness and the Impact on Youth
The amount of children experiencing mental illness may be higher than you would think. Approximately 20% of adolescents experience a mental health disorder each year. They may run into challenges in navigating life with a mental illness. It can have an impact on school performance, social relationships, and family dynamics. Mental illness can exacerbate the effects of ACEs and reduce resilience if they’re not addressed early.
The Importance of Mental Health Screenings and Assessment Tools
Early screening is vital as the benefits of identifying mental health conditions as early as possibly can help to subside long-term consequences. Universal screening reduces missed opportunities to identify children who may have mental health conditions and promotes intervention aimed at preventing some of the long-term effects of a childhood mental disorder.
Mental Health of America (MHA) offers a free online youth mental health screening test that can be found here. Just a reminder, the results are not an official diagnosis and it’s highly advised that you still see a professional on getting correctly and accurately diagnosed.
WYS’s Role in Supporting Youth Mental Health
At WYS, supporting youth through their mental health obstacles is very important to us. So much so, that we provide critical mental health services in the community, including trauma-informed care, youth counseling, and resilience-building programs. One way we love to support youth is through building resilience. We’re currently making efforts to address ACEs and promote resilience in youth through targeted programs like our Super Resilient Youth curriculum. To learn more about this program, click here!
Initiatives like Mental Illness Awareness Week and World Mental Health Day help us understand the importance of addressing mental illness in youth and the positive impact early intervention can have on their future. For those that are currently struggling with their mental health, we recognize your strength and resilience in managing those mental health challenges as that is no easy feat. Never forget that support is available and healing is possible. We highly encourage you to utilize any and all available resources, seek screenings, and advocate for mental health awareness. Together, we can build a brighter, more resilient future for all young people.
If your child or a young loved one is struggling with a mental health concern, we encourage you to reach out to a mental health professional or to contact an Access Coordinator at Western Youth Services by sending an email to [email protected] or by calling us toll-free at 888-312-0406.
Orange County, State and National resources can be found on our site here: https://www.westernyouthservices.org/resources/.
