How is America’s Mental Health Crisis Impacting Families?
A groundbreaking survey on mental health in America conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) and CNN in 2022 revealed that 9 out of 10 adults believe there’s a mental health crisis in the U.S. When asked to rate the severity of mental health concerns, respondents rated the opioid epidemic and mental health issues among children and teenagers at the top.
If you have a family member who has experienced mental illness, you understand firsthand the serious stresses and struggles that are part of the experience. While more than half (51%) of American families have experienced a severe mental health-related crisis, in many cases, there are limited services and support available to families dealing with these events.
The Mental Health in America survey showed that mental health crisis events are widespread and include many of the worst things that can happen in a family:
Twenty-eight percent of respondents said their family had to take a painful step, like institutionalizing a family member because they were a threat to themselves or others.
Twenty-one percent said they or a family member had a drug overdose requiring an emergency room visit.
Fourteen percent said they or a family member ran away from home and lived on the streets due to mental health issues.
Sixteen percent said a family member experienced homelessness because of a mental health problem.
Eight percent said they or a family member had a severe eating disorder requiring hospitalization or in-person treatment.
Twenty-six percent said they or a family member engaged in cutting or self-harm behaviors.
Sixteen percent had a family member who died from suicide.
The survey points to the fact that when you measure severity of the mental health crisis, the impacts should be multiplied and are much larger than the actual statistics show. These events truly challenge families, who often struggle to deal with them and make huge sacrifices to assist loved ones in crisis.
For example, according to the survey, over 40% of individuals said that a family member’s mental health crisis had a major impact on their own mental health or their family’s relationships. And, 20% said it had a major impact on the family’s financial situation. This group, which has the most direct experience with mental healthcare in this country, also said that most people are not able to get the mental health services they need.
Notably, negative outcomes are complicated by poverty and are more likely to occur in lower income households. Fifty-seven percent of people living in households earning less than $40,000 per year experienced these crises compared with 43% of those in families earning more than $90,000.
Overall, the vast majority of those surveyed said both families and healthcare providers should play a major role in addressing mental health problems in the U.S. This means that one of the best ways to help families is to effectively address the underlying problem affecting their family member.
Each illness has its own symptoms, but some of the warning signs of mental illness in a loved one can include sleep or appetite changes, mood swings, withdrawal, difficulty in performing familiar tasks, problems concentrating, increased sensitivity to sights and sounds, nervousness, difficulties in relationships, and uncharacteristic or odd behavior.
If someone you care about has one or two of these symptoms, they may need a mental health evaluation. If they have thoughts of harming themselves or others, they should get immediate help. Call, chat or text 988 to speak with a trained crisis counselor 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
For additional support and resources, contact the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for those affected by mental illness.
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