How Are You?
What’s your response to the question “how are you”? Do you reply “fantastic”, “I am well, thank you for asking”, “great” or something in a similar vein? But is your response really how you feel?
Based on data from numerous surveys, many people across all age groups are not feeling “great”, even with the COVID-19 pandemic in the rearview mirror. Consider these startling findings:
- More than 25% of American adults are depressed, a 10% surge from nearly a decade ago, according to the latest Gallup poll.
- Around 47% of adults under age 30 report “feeling down, depressed, or hopeless,” and 24% have had thoughts that they would be “better off dead,” or of hurting themselves in some way at least several days in past 2 weeks.
- Nearly 86% of children ages 9 to 13 years old report worrying, with 37% worrying once a week or more.
- In the past year, 63% of employees took a Mental Health Day in the past year. But 44% of them gave their employer a reason other than mental health for taking the day off, fearing a negative response from their employer.
May is Mental Health Awareness month, a designation that was started in 1949 by Mental Health America. The goal of this annual campaign is to eliminate the stigma associated with mental health conditions and increase access to affordable, quality mental health services. The stigma around mental health and treatment is starting to change but more work is needed. Far too many people from all walks of life hesitate to seek help or even talk about their mental health. Untreated mental illness can a myriad of other problems such as substance abuse, unemployment, legal and financial problems as well as heart disease and other medical conditions
Be sure to check out Mental Health Matters for more information on addressing mental illness!
- News to Know: changes to MI anti-discrimination law, COVID-19 deaths continuing, and premium rebates!
- Mental Health Matters: Combatting burnout, mental health days, & the behavioral health worker shortage.
- Scam Alert: COVID-19 tests, “generic” Ozempic, and medical billing scams.
- Feeling Curious: including my personal favorite, Remembering When Horse Diving Was an Actual Thing!
News to Know
Associated Press
Michigan protects workers from retaliation for having an abortion
WebMD
COVID Emergency Over, but Hundreds Are Still Dying Weekly
Fierce Healthcare
Insurers set to pay $1.1B in premium rebates this year: KFF
Mental Health Matters
Wall Street Journal
Combating the ‘Microstress’ That Causes Burnout
Wall Street Journal
The Companies That Give Everyone the Day Off When Life Gets Stressful
The Commonwealth Fund
Understanding the U.S. Behavioral Health Workforce Shortage
Scam Alert
KFF News
A Covid Test Medicare Scam May Be a Trial Run for Further Fraud
New York Times
Ozempic Is Hard to Find. Some Pharmacies Are Offering Unauthorized Alternatives
Better Business Bureau
BBB Scam Alert: How to stay safe when paying medical bills
Feeling Curious
Smithsonian Magazine
How Did 500 Pounds of Pasta End Up in the New Jersey Woods?
Atlas Obscura Journal
Remembering When Horse Diving Was an Actual Thing
Enjoy the weekend!
Best,
Suzanne
Suzanne Daniels, Ph.D.
AEPC President
P.O. Box 1416
Birmingham, MI 48012
Office: (248) 792-2187
Email: [email protected]