In the aftermath of Maine’s deadliest single-day shooting incident in state history, issues of America’s collective mental health have rightfully moved, once again, to the forefront. A clear-eyed look at the facts reveal the unsettling reality that many Americans struggle to maintain serenity, contentment and healthy relationships. Self-reported levels of anxiety, depression, loneliness, suicidal ideations and a sense of despair appear to be growing and, in some segments of the population, accelerating.
Data from the National Association on Mental Illness indicates that over 22% of our fellow citizens experienced levels of anxiety and depression that impacted their daily lives in the last year. Another 5.5% were affected by severe mental illness such as schizophrenia, psychosis or associative disorders. Over 60 million Americans fell into these two categories alone. A supermajority of Americans directly cited members of their extended families or friend network living with these challenges.
Yet, the American Psychiatric Association reminds us that the overwhelming majority of people with mental illness are not violent; in fact, only 3%-5% of violent acts are committed by people with mental illness. Other factors, including substance misuse, access to weapons and a history of violence, provide superior predictors of future violence. A broad stigmatizing of those struggling with mental illness may, in fact, undermine efforts to help those in need.
In response to these broad-based mental health needs, positive trends among providers within the field of behavioral health are emerging. New approaches to healing render greater hope for those who reach out. Here in Maine, Maine Behavioral Healthcare, an entity of Maine Health focused on treating mental and behavioral health conditions, will expand its offerings through Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics. Using team-based care initiatives with integrated support in one place, services will include peer supports, crisis services and carefully coordinated case management.
Philanthropic investment in mental health is also making a difference. Often focusing on the training of health professionals, foundations and individuals are underwriting initiatives to expand awareness of psychiatric issues within the medical sector. Here in Maine, the Glickman Lauder Foundation helped establish programs at the University of New England and the University of Maine to strengthen the statewide pipeline of psychiatric Nurse Practitioners and doctoral-prepared psychologists.
Yet, the capacity for care continues to be overreached by demand. Gaps in services result in limited access to appropriate levels of care. Workforce shortages, insufficient rural infrastructure, and regulatory challenges combine to create a system overflowing in unmet needs.
There is another dimension to the problem, however, that calls us all to action. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy describes an epidemic of loneliness that stems from a culture in overwhelming transition. The very nature of our communications, work-life balance and physical environment is changing rapidly. While change is not inherently negative, even “good” change can be stressful and challenging.
Most notably, Murthy describes our dialogues with each other as increasingly ruptured and broken. When initially asked about the origins of their feelings, respondents often cite external issues. But Murthy points to research that reveals an underlying sense of anxiety, a fear of the future, and a persistence sense of powerlessness in the face of massive social and economic disruption. At a moment of history in which we pointedly need each other, over 50% of Americans feel lonelier than ever.
Murthy reminds us that everyone has a role in improving our collective well-being. The power of love, he emphasizes, is the strongest of all human qualities. The infinite sacrifice of parents for their children or a soldier’s sacrifice of themselves for the safety of their comrades is the very antithesis of weakness; it is the most powerful resource we possess.
He suggests four deceptively simple actions to counteract our fears and anxieties: 1. Spend 15 minutes each day connecting with a person outside your immediate family. 2. Listen deeply, share and give them your full attention. Full attention is one of the most powerful gifts you can offer another person. 3. Find opportunities to serve others. While this may sound counterintuitive while suffering with anxiety or depression, the connection to others heals both giver and receiver. 4. Solitude is important. Take alone time each day. It is different from loneliness in that intentional quiet time enhances gratitude, connects us with ourselves and helps calm our often overly vigilant minds.
While none of these initiatives will necessarily prevent the next mass shooting in our country, these simple steps go to our underlying need to be connected with others and to exhibit the strongest of human qualities: our love.
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