Keep an Eye on Your Mental Health for a Healthier Life

Mental health is an umbrella term that encompasses a person’s emotional, social, and psychological well-being and their ability to enjoy everyday life activities. Mental health affects every aspect of our lives. How we handle stress, respond to crises, maintain relationships with our family, friends, and co-workers, navigate work life, and even our physical well-being is largely influenced by how mentally healthy we are. In recent years, focusing on mental health has been much more top-of-mind for Americans and mental health stigma has been on the decline.

 

How many people have mental health issues?

Unfortunately, mental health issues are not uncommon. An alarming number of people suffer from any number of mental health issues each year. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that 50% of all adults will suffer from a mental illness or disorder at some point throughout their life and that one in five adults are struggling with these health issues in any given year. The CDC also estimates that 1 in 25 Americans live with a very serious mental illness such as major depression or bipolar disorder.

These are staggering numbers and help to paint a picture of just how pervasive these health issues are. At the same time, these numbers can be reassuring to those who are struggling with mental health issues as they show that those individuals are not alone in their struggles.

 

Why is mental health important?

It would be difficult to overstate the importance of mental health for both the individual and for society as a whole. In short, addressing mental health concerns puts individuals on firm footing in all aspects of their life and, as individuals are the building blocks for a community, help to form a strong society.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) lays out very clearly how mental illness can impact the individual and the community:

• Those suffering from depression have a 40% higher chance of developing heart disease. Heart disease is the number one cause of death in America and the fact that so many Americans also suffer from mental illness is a correlation that shouldn’t be overlooked.
• 18.4% of Americans who suffer from mental health issues also suffered from substance abuse. This cycle can be self-perpetuating and lead to further mental and physical issues.
• One in five Americans who are homeless is suffering from a serious mental illness. This is also a correlation that cannot be ignored. The effort to end homelessness must also factor in the role that mental health plays in it.
• 37% of incarcerated Americans suffer from mental health complications. As with homelessness, the effort to reduce the prison population and to reduce recidivism must address mental health.

Mental health is critically important due to how many aspects of an individual’s life it can impact. Sound mental health is the foundation for a healthy life.

 

When is mental health awareness month?

Mental health awareness month happens each year in the month of May. The main goal of the month is to raise awareness not only of the prevalence of mental health issues in the world but also to help reduce the stigma that is associated with them. Many non-profit and non-governmental organizations turn their focus to making sure that anyone who is struggling with mental health issues is able to get the help that they need when they need it.

 

Does Medicare cover mental health?

Medicare Part B (the portion of Medicare that governs medical insurance) does cover a variety of mental health services. These include services that fall under doctor’s visits and treatments that are performed outside of a hospital setting.

Per the Medicare website, these services include, but are not limited to:

• Psychiatrists or other medical doctors
• Clinical psychologist
• Clinical social worker
• Clinical nurse specialist
• Nurse practitioner
• Physician assistant
• And lab tests ordered by your doctor

Medical Part B may also cover partial hospital services and the following outpatient services:

• Annual depression screening
• Mental health evaluation
• Individual or group psychotherapy
• Family counseling
• Testing to determine if current treatments are effective
• Psychiatric evaluation
• Medication management
• Diagnostic testing
• An annual wellness visit

Medicare can be a complex web of payment structures and this certainly applies to mental health services. Engaging a professional case manager is a good idea in order to learn how an individual’s specific situation is best handled.

 

How has COVID-19 affected mental health

The worldwide pandemic experienced over 2020 and 2021 is an unprecedented event for the vast majority of the world. In addition to the actual COVID-19 illness itself, the pandemic brought a host of challenging situations that had a negative impact on individual mental health.

Isolation and the disruption of the routine was a major factor that affected nearly everyone in the United States. As the pandemic ravaged its way across the country, state after the state instituted mandatory lock-downs forcing people to work from home and shelter in place. Separation from family and friends took its toll on mental health.

Additionally, the pandemic had significant impacts on the economy and saw job losses and layoffs in record numbers. This placed millions of Americans in financial distress which can be a leading factor in mental health.

 

How to take care of your mental health

Care for and cultivating mental health is a life-long process that requires focus and the desire to be an active participant in self-betterment. Obviously, there is a lot of variety and degrees to how severe each individual’s mental health diagnosis is but, regardless of how severe it may be, there are some common steps that can be taken toward achieving positive mental health.

1. Simply being aware of your mental health: The first step is actively acknowledging the state of your own mental health. It is impossible to move forward with solutions if you aren’t willing to see what problems actually need to be addressed.
2. Educate yourself: Researching your mental health, what it is, the effects it has on you, what a healthy lifestyle looks like, and what potential solutions are available can go a long way toward achieving overall better mental health. Understanding what triggers specific emotions and reactions can lead to proactive solutions and avoiding those triggers. Educating yourself about how to speak about your own mental health also enables you to fully take advantage of the help that is offered to you.
3. Seek out those who can help: Each passing year, the stigma of asking for help with mental health diminishes. This is a great trend! More and more, Americans are seeking to take ownership over their mental health and proactively maintain it. There has never been a great selection of options for help. In most instances, help can be found by anyone who needs it and is likely covered by more insurance plans and providers. Therapy, medication, screenings, licensed mental health counselors, wellness visits, or a combination of all of these can all lead to a better mental health outlook.

 

Role of organizations in mental health

Mental health organizations work with health professionals to provide a variety of services to local communities. These non-profit and charitable organizations play a large role in society’s effort to enrich individual lives through:

• Education: Mental health charitable organizations are a wealth of information in their communities about maintaining good mental health, identifying where help can be found, and how to find the right insurance and health coverage for each person’s specific situation. When wading into the depths of understanding health coverage and costs, you can’t be too educated.
• Political advocacy: These non-profit organizations are typically well established and have spent years making in-roads toward advocating for funding and policies that will enhance mental health resources. Influencing public policy at the local, state, and federal levels is a tall order. These organizations are well-positioned to lobby politicians for the interest of the mental health field.
• Individual advocacy: Stepping down from the policy levels these organizations also excel at working on behalf of individuals who need a voice at the local level. Whether it is finding a counselor, acting on behalf of a client to insurance agencies, or helping organize one’s affairs, these organizations exist to help.

 

What are mental health services?

Mental health services help people live healthier and more fulfilling lives. There are a variety of services that are available to individuals depending on what their specific needs may be.

Mental health services can provide assistance with depression, stress, anxiety, interpersonal relationships, anger management, substance abuse, grief counseling, and much more. Depending on the severity or type of need in these areas, different types of counseling may be engaged.

• Social workers help administer programs to enrich people’s lives and typically work under the umbrella of a non-profit or non-governmental agency. Social workers work with both individuals and families and can be found anywhere from public schools to churches to homeless shelters.
• Psychiatrists are medical professionals who can help with psychiatric issues and write prescriptions for medications that may aid in the healing process.
• Psychologists work in clinical settings and use psychotherapy to help enrich individual’s lives.

 

 

What is case management in mental health?

Cultivating a strong mental health regime can be challenging. The past several decades have seen the emergence of mental case management services as a tool that non-profit and non-governmental agencies use to organize plans for their clients.

Case managers working in the mental health field are tasked with working to better the lives of their clients. Whether it is depression, anxiety, substance abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder, or any other of a multitude of diagnoses, case managers guide and coach their clients in navigating not only their personal and professional lives but also the often murky waters of health care and health insurance.

The health care and health insurance landscape is challenging enough for those not battling a mental health crisis. For those who are struggling with mental health, some of the hurdles of getting the right help are simply insurmountable. Case managers are trained professionals who excel in guiding and organizing the path to wellness.

 

What are some common tasks associated with mental health case management?

Mental health case managers caseloads find them working on a lot of different problems all at the same time. These case management professionals are trained to work on a variety of tasks and be ready to shuffle priorities as needed.

Some of the common tasks associated with this work include:

• Creating client plans: This is the roadmap to a client’s success. Mental health case managers work directly with clients to develop a plan that will address their needs and help them live a healthier and more successful life.
• Assessing client needs upon intake: The first thing that a mental health services manager will do is gather as much information about a client as possible and work to identify specific needs. This is critical as it informs the plan that is set into motion.
• Managing voluminous paperwork: A comprehensive mental health plan will generate a tremendous amount of paperwork. Insurance documentation, meeting notes, medical records, etc… all help paint a picture of the client’s situation and must be meticulously kept.
• Performing home visits and follow-up: One-on-one time with the client is essential. Regular in-home visits help mental health case management professionals assess the current, in the moment needs of a client.

 

Mental health and a healthy life

Sound mental health really is a key component to a healthier life. The good news is that over the years, we’ve seen positive trends in the resources available to help individuals with mental health and a decline in the stigma associated with mental health issues.

There are countless non-profit, charitable, and non-governmental organizations that exist for the express purpose of prioritizing the mental health of those who are in need. There are professionally trained case managers and mental health case management software platforms designed to develop a plan for success and see it through.

Mental health struggles are certainly intimidating but fortunately, resources for helping people achieve healthy and productive lives have never been more abundant.