Young Adults (18-34) with Mental Illnesses

1. Young Adults (18-34) with Mental Illnesses By: Anna Curiel, Anna Gusar, Lacey Wilson

2. Characteristics of the Population • 18- 34 year old young adults with mental illness • Mixed racial / diverse groups • Varied socioeconomic statuses • Includes transitional age adults

3. Statistics • About 26% of adults aged 18 and over suffer from mental health disorders • The prevalence of mental health disorders is high among 18 to 25 year olds • 1 out of 5 persons aged 18-24 report having psychological issues • The second leading cause of death among adults aged 25-34 results from untreated mental illnesses • Individuals have a 2-6 times increased risk for injury compared to general population

4. Statistics cont. • Major depression and anxiety disorders are seen most often in young adults • According to SAMSHA, young adults experience serious mental illnesses at a higher rate compared to the general population

5. Major Issues / Health Problems • Substance use may increase the risk of mental illnesses and vice versa • Increased risk for suffering intentional or unintentional injuries • Increased risk for death when mental illnesses go untreated • Lack of insurance and mental health funding • Parenting issues

6. Major Issues / Health Problems cont. • Stigmatization • Discrimination • Social isolation

7. Strengths of the Population • Individuals who received previous mental health care are more likely to seek these services in the future • Counseling centers available for individuals with mental health illness • Support and advocacy groups available for families with mental illness • Group housing available; however, it is limited

8. Current Policies (Resources) • Health Care Reform Act: extends health coverage for individuals up to 26 years old • Lourdes Counseling Center (LCC) • PACT (Program of Assertive Community Treatment) • Crisis Response Unit (CRU) • N.A.M.I. (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill ) of Tri-Cities • Nueva Esperanza • Lutheran Community Services Northwest

9. Policy Critique / Gaps • LCC • Insufficient number of beds • PACT • Clients require significant support to live in the community • Priorities given to those with bipolar and schizophrenia-spectrum disorders • CRU • Screens calls and establishes priority for the need of intervention • N.A.M.I. of Tri-Cities • Decreased service availability due to budget cuts • Local Hospitals • Lack of medical personnel specialized in mental health

10. Unmet Needs • Lack of / insufficient amount of: • Group homes / affordable housing • State health care coverage • Mental health funding • Education regarding mental health • Parenting assistance • Inpatient / emergency psychiatric facilities • Efficient and accessible services for young adults

11. Healthy People 2020 Objectives • “Increase the proportion of primary care facilities that provide mental health treatment onsite or by paid referral” • “Increase the proportion of adults with mental disorders who receive treatment” • “Improve mental health services through prevention and by ensuring access to appropriate quality mental health services”

12. Improvement to Current Policies / First Steps in Implementing Changes • Educate community members and health care professionals about mental health, and raise further awareness of this topic by: • Collaborating with local hospitals and health care facilities to create a mental health curriculum for medical personnel • Collaborating with organizations already in support of mental health to create additional learning opportunities, such as educational forums for community members

13. Are Changes Realistic / Appropriate? Yes • Kadlec Medical Center requires all health care providers to undergo mandatory continuing education via Health Stream and Heath Fair biannually • Greater Columbia Behavioral Health is an organization already in support of mental health awareness in that they provide an annual open house to community members

14. How can CHN’s Change Policies? • CHN may collaborate with local hospitals and health care facilities to raise awareness and advocate for health care provider to receive education in mental health • CHN may collaborate with organizations in support of mental health by advocating to create additional learning opportunities for our community

15. Ways to Measure / Assure Policy Changes • Use pre and post tests to measure the knowledge of health care professionals before and after receiving mental health education • Use surveys to analyze the level of satisfaction by clients who received care from health care workers educated in mental health • Count the number of attendees at educational forums / classes • Use surveys to measure the knowledge of health care workers in other regions regarding mental health, and compare those results with our locality

16. Ways CHN, other Nurses, and / or other Professionals can Assure Outcomes • Review survey and educational data comparing the rate of education effectiveness among heath care providers overtime • Inform community and hospital administrators about findings • Monitor the rate of individuals seeking mental health treatment • Evaluate data and suggest areas for improvements

17. References • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. (2011). Mental illness surveillance among U.S. adults. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/mental healthsurveillance/fact_sheet.html • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. (2011). Mental illness surveillance among U.S. adults. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/su6003a1.htm?s_cid=su6003a1_w • Healthy People. (2012). Mental health. Retrieved from http://www,healthypeople.gov/2020/LHI/mentalHealth.aspx • Healthy People. (2012). Mental health and mental disorders. Retrieved from http://www. healthypeople.gov/2020/topicsobjectives2020/overview.aspx?topicId=28 • Murphy, M. (2012, March 13). Hospitals ill-equipped to handle psychiatric 'boarders.' The Seattle Times. Retrieved from http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2017740748_guest14murphy.html • Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2009). Young adults and mental health recovery: Perspectives on social inclusion and acceptance. Retrieved from http://promoteacceptance.samhsa.gov/archtelPDF/YoungAdults MentalHealthRecovery_Final_6.3.09B.pdf • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute of Drug Abuse. (2007). Topics in brief: Comorbid drug abuse and mental illness. Retrieved from http://www. drugabuse.gov/publications/topics-in-brief/comorbid-drug-abuse-mental-illness • van der Ende, P. C., van Busschbach, J. T., Wiersma , D., & Korevaar, E.L. (2011). Parents with severe mental illness. Epidemiological data. (Summary). Tijdschrift voor Psychiatrie, 53(11), 851-856. Retrieved from http://www.tijdschrift voorpsychiatrie.nl/en/issues/447/articles/9236 • Yu, J. W., Adams, S. H., Burns, J., Brindis, C. D., & Irwin, C. E. (2008). Use of mental health counseling as adolescents become young adults. Journal of Adolescent Health, 43(3), 268-276. doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2008.01.009