Mental Health Awareness: Some Basics

HOPE Family Health
May 20
4 min read

By Liz Ferrell, Development & Community Relations Specialist

Chances are, you or someone you love has experienced mental health issues. If so, you may be at a loss as to what to do. You may even wonder how to tell if or when to get help.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month – the perfect time for HOPE to help shed a little light on the subject for you, our readers. Here are some basics.

The importance of good mental health

“Good mental health positively affects our lives and enables us to meet life’s responsibilities and find happiness and meaning,” explains an article on the website for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. “Poor mental health can have negative impacts on our physical health, how we feel about ourselves, and how we interact with the world and those around us.”

In other words, it’s almost impossible to overstate the role mental health plays in determining your quality of life. It impacts every aspect of life: your overall health, and your ability to make decisions, hold a job, manage stress, build meaningful relationships, and function in the world around you.

How many people suffer from mental health problems?

In Tennessee, the latest figures from 2023 reflect that 37.3 percent of Tennesseans
reported symptoms of anxiety or depression – five percent higher than the national average.
Between 2018 and 2022, the suicide rate in Tennessee stood at 17.7 percent, versus 14.9 percent nationwide.
In 2022 Tennessee saw 3,826 overdose deaths and 26,211 nonfatal overdoses requiring a hospital visit.
Trauma and/or grief from experiencing a loss can greatly impact mental health, having both
immediate and long-term effects. For the vast majority of trauma survivors, the
immediate effects eventually resolve; however, for a few, the effects of trauma continue or wait to emerge long after the experience.
Studies show a clear connection between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and future substance abuse or other mental health struggles. Studies also show that children diagnosed with ADHD are more prone to substance abuse.
Among Tennessee’s student population:
- 44,706 students are diagnosed with ADHD
- 24,429 students have been diagnosed with an “other” condition
- 20,940 students are diagnosed with a mental health disorder
- 16,956 students are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder

Yet over half the schools in Tennessee have either no staff members or only one staff member trained as a psychological professional.

How do I know when to seek help?

Ask yourself these questions to determine if your symptoms are interfering with your daily life.

Am I experiencing mild or moderate symptoms?
Can I still function at work or school?
Am I losing sleep?
Am I able to take good care of myself and others in my care?
Do self-care activities such as exercising, socializing, getting enough sleep or talking things out with a friend help me manage the symptoms?
Do the symptoms last longer than two weeks?

If symptoms do not improve or worsen despite time and attempts at self-care, talk with your health care provider.

Am I experiencing severe symptoms?
Am I losing a lot of sleep?
Can I concentrate?
Has my appetite changed?
Am I still interested in doing the things I enjoy most?
Do I have trouble convincing myself it’s worthwhile to get out of bed in the mornings?
Am I able to do my job and meet other areas of responsibility?

If you experience severe symptoms, seek professional help, particularly if they persist longer than two weeks.

How can HOPE help?

HOPE Family Health has a thriving Behavioral Health Department with staff able to help diagnose and treat a wide array of mental health issues – everything from anxiety, depression, or ADHD, to help overcoming substance abuse, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and more.

Our providers include a licensed psychiatrist, four psychiatric nurse practitioners, and six licensed behavioral health therapists, a dietitian, a peer support specialist, and the support of licensed practical nurses and medical assistants. Our BH providers work closely with HOPE’s medical staff and clinical pharmacists to ensure you have a team of professionals working with you to personalize a

care plan just for you.

Stigma around mental health

Although much progress has been made to help the public understand how very common mental health struggles are, unfortunately negative attitudes, beliefs and stereotypes about mental health and its treatments still persist.

Estimates are that more than half the people who suffer from a mental illness don't get the help they need, often avoiding or delaying seeking treatment due to fear of being treated differently or losing a job or even a relationship. Public stigma can also lead to self-stigma, where an individual may internalize the shame or stigma of having a mental health condition. Finally, structural stigma may limit the opportunities available to those suffering from mental illness, including less funding or less access to treatment.

HOPE’s mission and mental health

“Mental health is a basic human right,” says the WHO website, and at HOPE, we agree wholeheartedly. That’s why, starting later this summer, HOPE Family Health will introduce its new Mobile Health Unit, which will bring behavioral healthcare to communities in our service area. Initially, the mobile unit will take behavioral health teams to Lafayette, Portland and Hartsville one afternoon each month. We will see both new and existing patients. Visit our website at https://www.hopefamilyhealth.org/mobilehealth, and watch this space for more information!