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

Characteristics of the Population  year old young adults with mental illness  Mixed racial / diverse groups  Varied socioeconomic statuses  Includes transitional age adults

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 report having psychological issues  The second leading cause of death among adults aged results from untreated mental illnesses  Individuals have a 2-6 times increased risk for injury compared to general population

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

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

Major Issues / Health Problems cont.  Stigmatization  Discrimination  Social isolation

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

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

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

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

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”

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

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

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

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

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

References  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. (2011). Mental illness surveillance among U.S. adults. Retrieved from 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  Healthy People. (2012). Mental health. Retrieved from  Healthy People. (2012). Mental health and mental disorders. Retrieved from 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  Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2009). Young adults and mental health recovery: Perspectives on social inclusion and acceptance. Retrieved from 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 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), Retrieved from 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), doi: /j.jadohealth