One in five American adults will experience mental illness during their lifetime, making it the leading public health issue in the country — one that affects more people than cancer, heart disease and diabetes, said Paul E. Keck, Jr., president and CEO of the Lindner Center of HOPE in Mason.
“Until one’s self or one’s family or friend is affected by a mental illness — as with probably any other medical problem — people tend to be unaware of how big a public health problem mental illness is,” he said.
And no one is immune to mental illness — it crosses all demographics and affects all communities.
The Lindner Center of HOPE strives to break down the stigma of mental illness and educate the public on the signs and symptoms of the most common types of mental illness.
The Lindner Center of HOPE is a nonprofit, comprehensive mental health center offering state-of-the-science diagnosis and treatment of the most pervasive mental illnesses. Since 2008, Keck and his staff have provided a fully integrated system of care to address deficiencies in mental health care as identified by the Institute of Medicine. It’s a unique model that includes a cutting-edge research institute as well as inpatient and outpatient diagnosis and treatment programs.
One of the biggest hurdles the Lindner Center of HOPE — and all mental health providers — face is that demand for services “far outstrips the capacity to help as many who need help,” Keck said. Reimbursement for mental health is below every other medical service, he said, but the Lindner Center of HOPE maintains an unwavering commitment to providing quality care to as many people as possible.
First, we need to increase our collective awareness of mental illness, including the signs and symptoms we might notice in ourselves or loved ones. “One reason people don’t get help is they don’t understand they are suffering from a treatable mental illness,” Keck said.
Keck cites the success of public health campaigns for issues like signs of a stroke and said we need to know the signs of mania, depression, etc. “It should be taught in health class in middle school,” he said. The Lindner Center of HOPE has a library of videos, articles and other resources to help educate yourself and others.
Second, we need to understand that mental illnesses are real, neurobiologic illnesses with genetic risks just like physical conditions. That includes addiction.
Addictions, he added, can be behavioral or chemical. Our brain uses these addictions as a means to cope with life and with symptoms of other mental illnesses, which can lead to isolation.
Tuell emphasizes the importance of that connection in not only identifying mental health issues in ourselves and others, but also in mitigating or treating mental illnesses.
“Addiction actually affects the area of the brain where we develop meaningful, connected relationships,” Tuell said. A loss of connection can be as physically damaging as heart disease, he said.
Perhaps most importantly, Keck said we need to understand that most mental illnesses are very treatable.
Tuell added that “building new pathways is part of what treatment is all about.” He compares it to building a new road. It takes time to build a new road, one to recovery, and you need to learn to navigate it. While you could speed down the old one, this new path requires patience and care — but it, too, can become familiar.
The Lindner Center of HOPE helps families and individuals navigate the medical system, offering referrals to the appropriate level of care, education and a rapid-access program that provides emergency mental health care within 24 hours.
“What we try to do is serve as community resource,” Keck said.