Rebecca Wade, RN, director of Senior Life Solutions program at St. Luke Hospital and Living CenterPhoto of Rebecca Wade, director Senior Life solutions at Saint Luke Hospital

May 1 kicks off Mental Health Month (MHM) 2024.

Every year at St Luke Hospital's Senior Life Solutions we work diligently to stop the stigma and raise awareness of mental illness, and mental health treatments, in May.

You might be surprised to learn that 22.8% of US adults have a mental illness. That is almost 1 out of every 4 persons. The data for adolescents is even more staggering. 49% of children aged 13-18 have a mental illness. These numbers highlight the incredible need for mental health services across all age groups. Although at Senior Life Solutions we primarily service the elderly (ages 65 and older) due to an over-looked negligence in the need for mental health therapy within this age range.

Let’s look at the prevalence of mental illness in America (according to the National Institute of Mental Health https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness#part_2538):

Any mental illness (AMI) is defined as a mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder. AMI can vary in impact, ranging from no impairment to mild, moderate, and even severe impairment.

Prevalence of AMI:
• In 2021, there were an estimated 57.8 million adults aged 18 or older in the United States with AMI. This number represented 22.8% of all U.S. adults.
• The prevalence of AMI was higher among females (27.2%) than males (18.1%).
• Young adults aged 18-25 years had the highest prevalence of AMI (33.7%) compared to adults aged 26-49 years (28.1%) and aged 50 and older (15.0%).
• The prevalence of AMI was highest among the adults reporting two or more races (34.9%), followed by American Indian / Alaskan Native (AI/AN) adults (26.6%). The prevalence of AMI was lowest among Asian adults (16.4%).
• An estimated 49.5% of adolescents had any mental disorder.

Mental Health Services – AMI:
• In 2021, among the 57.8 million adults with AMI, 26.5 million (47.2%) received mental health services in the past year.
• More females with AMI (51.7%) received mental health services than males with AMI (40.0%).
• The percentage of young adults aged 18-25 years with AMI who received mental health services (44.6%) was lower than adults with AMI aged 26-49 years (48.1%) and aged 50 and older (47.4%).
• Serious mental illness (SMI) is defined as a mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder resulting in serious functional impairment, which substantially interferes with or limits one or more major life activities. The burden of mental illnesses is particularly concentrated among those who experience disability due to SMI.

Severe mental illness (SMI) is defined as a mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder resulting in serious functional impairment, which substantially interferes with or limits one or more major life activities. The burden of mental illnesses is particularly concentrated among those who experience disability due to SMI.

Prevalence of SMI:
• In 2021, there were an estimated 14.1 million adults aged 18 or older in the United States with SMI. This number represented 5.5% of all U.S. adults.
• The prevalence of SMI was higher among females (7.0%) than males (4.0%).
• Young adults aged 18-25 years had the highest prevalence of SMI (11.4%) compared to adults aged 26-49 years (7.1%) and aged 50 and older (2.5%).
• The prevalence of SMI was highest among AI/AN adults (9.3%), followed by adults reporting two or more races (8.2%). The prevalence of SMI was lowest among Asian adults (2.8%).
• Of adolescents with any mental disorder, an estimated 22.2% had severe impairment and/or distress. DSM-IV based criteria were used to determine severity level.

Mental Health Services – SMI:
• In 2021, among the 14.1 million adults with SMI, 9.1 million (65.4%) received mental health treatment in the past year.
• More females with SMI (67.6%) received mental health treatment than males with SMI (61.3%).
• The percentage of young adults aged 18-25 years with SMI who received mental health treatment (57.9%) was lower than adults with SMI aged 26-49 years (67.0%) and aged 50 and older (71.0%).

These sobering statistics point out the work still to be done. At St Luke Hospital's Senior Life Solutions we are spreading awareness and reducing stigma for the elderly population who are living with mental illness: depression, anxiety, prolonged grief, altering life changes, etc. We strive to help our patients learn coping skills and live better lives!

Rebecca Wade, RN
Program Director
St Luke Hospital
Senior Life Solutions
535 S Freeborn St.
Marion, KS 66861
(620) 382-2177 x 521

Visit www.slhmarion.org/seniorlifesolutions