May is Mental Health Month

May is Mental Health Month and every year the goal is to fight stigma, provide support, educate the public, and advocate for policies that support people with mental illness and their families. Mental Health Month has been observed since 1949. Mental Health Month awareness is represented by a green ribbon.

Mental Health America (MHA) presents these Fast Facts:

◊Research shows it can take 50 hours for someone you don’t know that well to turn into a true friend. [1]

◊During the week, Americans watch an average of 2.5 hours of TV per day, but only spend half an hour per day socializing. [2]

◊The number of friendships you have early in your adult life and the closeness of those relationships can influence your well being 30 years later. [3]

1. Hall, J. A. (2019). How many hours does it take to make a friend? Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 36(4), 1278–1296.   2. US Dept. of Labor. (2018). American time use survey. Retrieved from http://www.bls.gov/tus.3. Carmichael, C. L., Reis, H. T., Duberstein, P. R. (2015). In your 20s it’s quantity, in your 30s it’s quality: The prognostic value of social activity across 30 years of adulthood. Psychology and Aging, 30, 95–105.

The Alliance on Mental Illness reports that only half of those afflicted with the disease actually receive treatment and nearly one in five U.S. adults lives with a mental illness. Nearly one in twenty five adults experience serious mental illness (SMI). Seventeen percent of youth (6-17 years) experience a mental health disorder.

By the numbers:                                                                                                     

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration estimates that by 2025, the U.S. will have a shortage of:

◊10,470 marriage and family therapists (40,250 needed; 29,780 available)

◊15,400 psychiatrists (60,610 needed; 45,210 available)

◊26,930 mental health counselors (172,630 needed; 145,700 available)

Associated Billing Center, LLC  is an active supporter of NAMI and MHA.

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