Mental health awareness is becoming an increasingly critical part of community building, so much so that both public and private entities are taking part in initiatives that focus on providing mental health interventions to vulnerable groups. However, there are regions in the United States where mental health awareness isn’t given the spotlight it deserves, requiring greater collaboration among advocacy groups.
Georgia is one such state struggling to provide essential mental health services. This shouldn’t be taken lightly since mental health issues remain prevalent across the state. However, this also presents a valuable opportunity to cultivate community support in the form of investments in critical facilities and providing programs that engage sectors such as the youth and the elderly.
The State of Mental Health in Georgia
Addressing the state’s needs in terms of improving mental health awareness and access to essential interventions requires looking at the bigger picture. This would mean taking the current climate of mental wellness into account. According to a fact sheet published by the National Alliance on Mental Illness, over 44.3% of Georgia’s adult population in 2021 reported symptoms of anxiety and depression, with more than 336,000 having a serious mental health illness.
What’s even more dire is the fact that seeking out mental health treatment remains inaccessible to a considerable chunk of patients with confirmed symptoms of mental illness who had to opt out of treatment due to high costs. In addition to that, more than 68.4% of children in Georgia between the ages of 12 and 17 have depression but lack adequate care.
These figures make a good case for community collaboration in promoting mental health awareness and creating opportunities to fill the gaps in Georgia’s mental healthcare sector. It might take time, but by working together, communities across the state can provide an effective solution to a problem the state couldn’t afford to overlook.
Community-Building for Mental Health Awareness: What Needs to Be Done
Addressing the state’s current challenges in providing adequate mental health care relies on the strategies to be implemented at the community level. For the most part, this would mean allowing different organizations and stakeholders to come up with projects and initiatives focusing on education and training.
One such initiative is the Georgia Apex Program, which is funded by the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities. Focusing on providing access to mental health resources and services for students from pre-kindergarten to senior high school levels, the program emphasizes the need to build school-based support systems that cater to the needs of children and young adults. The program also supports training for faculty and staff members in the proper handling of unique cases.
The department also provides resources on substance abuse prevention, suicide prevention, and other forms of interventions through the Office of Behavioral Health Prevention. It has also rolled out media campaigns that educate individuals on spotting clear and latent signs of mental illness.
Where Do We Go From Here?
However, addressing the mental health situation in Georgia shouldn’t focus solely on awareness. It falls upon mental healthcare providers to work with public stakeholders in terms of elevating the services they provide. This would mean providing continuing education and training opportunities to frontline staff, such as mental health nurses who are willing to sign for an online post masters PMHNP in Georgia.
More importantly, private psychiatric practices offering diagnostic and treatment services should also step up their community-based initiatives by partnering with non-profits and other organizations that play a central role in mental health education and illness prevention.
Endnote
Despite Georgia’s current mental health climate, there is ample opportunity for the state to improve its standing in terms of providing access to needed resources and facilities. It’s only a matter of highlighting awareness and encouraging public and private enterprises to buy in.
