A nationwide study just ranked Wisconsin No. 1 in mental health — a fact that might surprise anyone who’s tried to make an appointment recently with a therapist.
Despite a shortage of therapists and waiting times for mental health providers that can stretch into six months and beyond, the study, conducted by Mental Heatlh America, found that Badger state still had a high enough score to top other states when it came to treating it. The mental health needs of the population.
Compared to other states, fewer adults in Wisconsin report having their mental health needs not met, more adults are seeking treatment, and fewer students are reporting emotional disturbances in their IEP.
These facts have boosted Wisconsin to the top of the country nationally.
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Industry professionals say another possible reason for its high status is the fact that Wisconsin has invested in the mental health needs of its residents.
Getting such a high score surprised Martina Gulen Graves, president and CEO of American Mental Health Wisconsin, which has given some of the score to the administration of Governor Tony Evers that prioritized mental health and the federal dollars the state recently received from coronavirus aid. Relief, Economic Security, and the US Dollar Rescue Plan Act.
But more than that, Gulen-Graves said, this speaks to the prevalence of mental health needs in every state across the country — needs are high everywhere.
“I don’t think we necessarily do things better, or that our system has changed,” said Gollen Greaves. “I think conditions with the pandemic and the infusion of federal dollars have certainly helped. But … it reflects the disparities elsewhere.”
The report, published Thursday, covers a range of measures, including adults with any mental illness, young adults with major depressive disorder, and those with mental health conditions who cannot receive treatment due to a lack of workforce or lack of coverage. insurance.
The Wisconsin rankings come at a time when, according to the State of America’s Mental Health 2023 report, more than 12 million adults across the United States have reported suicidal thoughts, 16% of all young adults have reported at least one major depressive disorder and nearly every adult has reported it. He suffers from a substance use disorder after not receiving treatment.
The numbers in Wisconsin tell a similar story: Nearly 5% of the population, or 219,000 people, reported serious thoughts of suicide, slightly higher than the national percentage. Fewer Wisconsin youths, at 14%, report having at least one major depressive disorder than the national percentage.
Nearly 22% of adults in Wisconsin have reported having any mental illness, versus the national rate of 21%.
In a press call organized by Mental Health America on Wednesday, Maddie Reinert, senior director of population health for Mental Heatlh America, said the data has clear policy implications.
“Based on these findings, it is clear that we need to invest in a public mental health approach, including policies that address the social determinants of mental health and inculcate mental health promotion in all policies so that we can reduce the prevalence of mental health challenges within our community,” Reinert said.
Schroeder Stripling, president and CEO of Mental Health America, said the effects of the pandemic have only led to an increase in mental health disorders.
“We know that the rates of mortality, despair, drug use, opioid overdose, alcohol-related deaths and suicides have all increased during this time,” Stripling said on Wednesday. “And that’s not from this particular report, but it’s something we want to reinforce because it adds to the sense of urgency of the moment.”
Equity issues and workforce shortages are at the heart of Wisconsin’s mental health crisis
At the Milwaukee American Mental Health Clinic in Wisconsin, pandemic federal dollars have allowed the small clinic to see more clients. Gulen-Graves said he suspects the report’s measurements have more to do with the infusion of dollars than they are a true reflection of access to care.
Wisconsin has a workforce shortage “like never before,” according to Gulen-Graves, much of it resulting from organizations’ inability to keep up with the increasing demand for salaries.
The report showed that for every mental health provider in the state, there are 440 consumers with potential needs. To put this in perspective, the national average is one mental health care provider for every 350 consumers.
“We initially thought it would get better, but the problem is only getting worse,” said Joleen Greaves. “We can’t keep up.”
Julen Greaves said that despite the top spot, few issues make Wisconsin’s mental health crisis unique. The scarcity of prescribers affects suppliers and consumers at the state and national levels.
“Especially now that telehealth is an option, more and more people have access to mental health services, but getting to a prescriber in a timely manner — that’s one of our biggest problems,” said Joleen Greaves.
But with the rise of telehealth, Wisconsin residents with limited access to broadband, particularly in rural communities, are falling behind, adding to ever-increasing egalitarian concerns about mental health.
These equality issues range from technology to a lack of culturally competent advisors. Not all Wisconsin communities have equal pressures, said Joleen Greaves, adding that people of color in Wisconsin are less likely to seek treatment and more likely to die by suicide.
Financial barriers also prevent vulnerable populations from obtaining treatment. According to a Mental Health America report, Hispanic adults with mental illness in the United States were less likely to have health insurance, with 19% uninsured. The uninsured rate among Hispanic adults boomed from 2017 to 2020, as Hispanic adults are more likely to delay mental health treatment during COVID-19.
Those barriers turn to new data on Hispanic youth from the Wisconsin Office of Child Mental Health, which finds that 52% of Hispanic youth in Wisconsin have poor mental health and 51% of Hispanic youth living in low-income families .
Reinert, senior director of population health for Mental Health America, said expanding Medicaid has been found to reduce racial disparities in health care coverage, and this is especially true for black and Hispanic adults.
“Medicaid expansion … is associated with significant reductions in the percentage of depressed and uninsured adults who delay mental health care because of costs,” Rennert said. This is the millions of adults writing reports in the United States.
more:New survey results show Green Bay residents are sadder, more isolated, and less hopeful for the future
Natalie Elbert covers mental health issues for USA TODAY NETWORK-Central Wisconsin. She welcomes story tips and feedback. You can reach her at neilbert@gannett.com or view her Twitter profile at Tweet embed. If you or someone you know is dealing with suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or text “Hopeline” to the National Crisis text line at 741-741.
Originally published at San Jose News Bulletin
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