If you or someone you know needs help, please call 1-800-273-8255 or visit National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
Make a Difference for Children
Making a difference for a child is not a complex or intangible concept. If there are children in your life, consider these simple steps.
- Be fully present. Enjoy your next meal with a child sitting down at a table without electronics.
- Listen well. If you notice a child having a bad day, do something simple together like a walk, bike ride, a craft or playing catch. Encourage them to express their thoughts.
- Don’t avoid stressors. If a child is anxious, rather than trying to ignore or remove what’s causing the anxiety, talk to the child about the feared situations and develop coping tactics together.
- Be reassuring. Let a child know that it’s normal to sometimes feel angry, scared, worried or tense—and that other people (including you) share those feelings. Tell them you’re confident they can conquer a challenging situation with some basic problem solving.
Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) Mental Health Month
As hard as it is for anyone to get proper mental health care in the United States, it’s even harder for racial, ethnic, religious and gender minorities. Not only are there the problems most of us experience, but there are added burdens of access and quality-of-care. With your help, we can bring awareness to the prevalence of disparities with minority mental health care in our communities. It’s our job to help end the stigma surrounding mental health by sharing resources and starting conversations.
Here are some important facts you should know:
- In 2017, 41.5% of youth ages 12-17 received care for a major depressive episode, but only 35.1% of black youth and 32.7% of Hispanic youth received treatment for their condition.
- African Americans are 10% more likely to report having serious psychological distress than Non-Hispanic whites.
- Native Americans have the highest rate of young adult suicide of any ethnicity.
- People from racial/ethnic minority groups are less likely to receive mental health care.
Remember, mental illness does not discriminate. Join us to help bring attention to the importance of sharing mental health stories and help improve the lives of millions of Americans living with a mental illness.
Help is available! Visit www.MagellanHealthcare.com/About/MYMH or contact your program to learn more about how to help yourself or someone you care about.