Every Sunday, I post a Solution Weekly to look at the topics I will cover for the week. I highlight the information and will dive deeper into the posts I make throughout the week.
I hope it helps followers or new readers to get a glimpse of what the blog tries to provide. Who is the audience of the blog? I write as I often did for others I worked for and with daily. I come for the world of education. Parents, Grandparents, Teachers, Bus Drivers, Cooks, Social Workers, Nurses, School Resource Officers, and Leaders are included in the list of those I want to provide support, encouragement, and, most notably, the solution daily.
Today is a National Holiday to recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day and the day for Christopher Columbus’s discovery and the colonization in the Western Hemisphere.
Today is also World Mental Health Day.
The rise of mental health needs in our country and globally is at a record high. “19.86% of adults are experiencing a mental illness. Equivalent to nearly 50 million Americans. 4.91% are experiencing a severe mental illness.” –State of Mental Health in America
According to Our World in Data, 792 million people have a mental health disorder. This is slightly more than one in ten people globally (10.7%). This data is from 2017. As the world went through a global pandemic it will not be surprising to see this data increase.
Make mental health for all a global priority
The National Institute of Mental Health provides more data to break down the race, gender, and age of Americans with mental health illnesses as adults. The graph provided and descriptions help to give a clearer view.
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is a great organization I have learned so much, and have many great resources. They have just the facts:
Fast Facts
1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year
1 in 20 U.S. adults experience serious mental illness each year
1 in 6 U.S. youth aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year
50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% by age 24
Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among people aged 10-14
Visit the NAMI site and the others to learn more about Mental Health. The most important thing to know is, you are not alone! It is okay to say, “I am not okay.” Taking time for self-care, talking with someone, getting medication, and checking in on others are all the right things to do. Taking the first step is often the hardest but also the best one as you continue to bring more to recovery.
Make MONDAY a MENTAL Health check day. Always be on the lookout for warning signs and behavior changes, and the websites will help you. When in doubt, always have conversations with families, students, and counselors and keep on checking.
Activities to support World Mental Health Day
- Communicate about mental health with others to offer support and provide resources to help make it easier to talk about.
- Talk about mental health at work so others can feel comfortable, can ask for help, share, and resources are available.
- Practice gratitude for positive mental health.
- Hold a mental health fundraiser at work, school, or community.
- Ensure there is an open-door policy around mental health.
- Consider mental health training and support at work, school, or organization.