According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being.” It can affect all aspects of our life including how we think, feel, and act. Those aspects being affected will, in turn, affect how we handle stress, how we relate to others, and how we make decisions.
Multiple factors contribute to mental health problems. One of these factors is biological, which has to do with your DNA makeup and the genes that were passed down to you from your biological parents. Another could be the life experiences that you have been through, which could have been traumatic. Family history of mental health problems is also something to consider when assessing your mental health. According to an article written by the American Counseling Association, a child of a parent who had schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depressive disorder is 33% more likely to develop the disorder.
Being aware of the warning signs of a mental health disorder is important not only for yourself but also for your loved ones. One of the early warning signs is if you are eating or sleeping too much or too little. Both of these can be caused by depression and could lead to a depressive disorder. Having low energy can be another warning sign that may include not wanting to get out of bed and not feeling like you can do your usual daily activities. Depression can make someone feel fatigued even though they may have gotten enough sleep. If you’re using substances such as drugs and alcohol more than usual, this could also be considered a warning sign of increased depression or anxiety.
Mental health is a problem everywhere in the world and in every state within the U.S., but in Indiana, mental health is above average for mental illness. According to The World Population Review, the average rate of mental illness among states is 4%, and Indiana has a rate of 4.12%. This may not seem like a big difference, but if you take into consideration how many people there are within the state of Indiana, it becomes something that everyone in our state should be concerned about. The population of Indiana sits at around 6.7 million. This means that there are over 275,000 people who suffer from a serious mental illness in our state.
Bloomington Health Foundation realizes that this is not only an issue on the global, national, and state levels but also right here in Monroe County. As said by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, mental health affects every aspect of our life, and BHF is continuing to put this fundamental issue at the top of our priority list. Mental health is health, and we’re doing our part to empower organizations in our community to help fight this global crisis right here in our community.
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