Recovery Month: A Brief History

The Substance Abuse and Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) sponsored National Recovery Month (Recovery Month) every September for twenty years, from 1999-2019. In 2020, the non-profit mental health and recovery advocacy organization Faces & Voices of Recovery stepped in and assumed sponsorship and organizational duties for the month. The first thing they did was shorten the name to Recovery Month, to acknowledge the recovery of people around the world, not just in the U.S.

All information and details about Recovery Month events and objectives now appear on their Recovery Month website. If you’re interested in more events, visit here.

What is Recovery Month?

Recovery Month is a month-long series of events that began in Massachusetts in 1989 as Treatment Works! Celebration Day and grew into Recovery Month in 1999 when SAMSHA adopted the event. Over the next twenty years, Recovery Month transformed into a significant observance and advocacy month around the world. In 2018 alone, Recovery Month included over half a million participants, almost fifteen hundred separate events, and hosted events in a dozen countries outside of the U.S.

The fundamental goals of recovery month are:

1. To spread awareness about substance use and mental health treatment and recovery support and services.
2. To reduce stigma related to mental health and alcohol/substance use disorders.
3. To educate the public that evidence-based treatment can and does enable people with mental health and alcohol/substance use disorders live healthy, rewarding, and productive lives.

In late 2022, the organizers at Faces and Voices of Recovery decided to create a permanent theme and tagline for Recovery Month, rather than create a new theme for each year. Here’s the permanent theme for National Recovery Month, created in 2022, and now adapted for long-term use:

“Recovery is for Everyone: Every Person. Every Family. Every Community.”

The organizers describe the overall philosophy and how it supports with the theme:

“Recovery Month celebrates the gains made by those in recovery from substance use and mental health, just as we celebrate improvements made by those who are managing other health conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, asthma, and heart disease. We work to promote and support new evidence-based treatment and recovery practices, the emergence of a strong and proud recovery community, and the dedication of service providers and community members across the nation who make recovery in all its forms possible.”

Here are several ways we can all work to raise awareness during Recovery Month:

• Share what we know about mental illness substance use disorders
• End stigma connected to people with mental illness and people who use substances
• End stigma connected to mental health and substance use treatment and recovery
• Tell friends, family, about evidence-based treatment for mental health and substance use disorders

With regards to that last bullet point, this is the message we encourage everyone to share:

Evidence-based treatment provided by licensed, qualified professionals is effective and can help people with substance use and/or mental health challenges manage symptoms, restore balance and live full, productive, vibrant lives in recovery.

What Happens During Recovery Month?

Around the world every September, advocates organize hundreds of events to raise awareness about recovery from mental illness and/or substance use disorder. Events come in almost any form you can imagine. Recovery walks and awareness rallies accompany modern virtual webinars and old-fashioned potlucks and barbecues. All these events share the common goal of encouraging people from every walk of life to address the ongoing need for a worldwide expansion treatment, prevention, and recovery resources.

We encourage everyone to participate in Recovery Month activities, with a focus on people in recovery, and the following individuals and groups:

• Active-duty military service personnel and veterans
• First responders
• Local municipal leaders
• Grass-roots community organizations
• High school and college students
• High school, college, and university educators
• Employers, from large corporations to small local businesses
• Churches and other faith-based organizations
• Church, spiritual, and faith leaders
• Friends and family members of people in recovery
• Justice system personnel
• Policymakers
• Prevention, treatment, and recovery organizations
• Peer recovery specialists
• Recovery community
• Social service organizations
• Youth and young adult groups and organizations

When we work to reach all these people, from professionals, to family members of people in recovery, to concerned members of the community, we improve our communities by promoting not only physical health, but also emotional, psychological, and spiritual health and well-being,

What is Recovery?

We’ve been using that word throughout this article. Before we continue, we’ll define recovery so we’re all on the same page.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) defines recovery as:

“A process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live a self-directed life, and strive to reach their full potential.”

Experts identify four core components that promote recovery:

1. Health: Physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual.
2. Home: A safe stable place to live.
3. Purpose: Having a reason to fully participate in life, such as a job, going to school, volunteering, or being a loving, supportive spouse, partner, sibling, or family member.
4. Community: Relationships or social networks that promote recovery-friendly activities and support long-term health and well-being.

SAMHSA also understands that recovery is an individual process. Therefore, there are as many paths to recovery as there are people in recovery. Pathways to recovery may include clinical support, non-clinical support, and self-directed support. It’s common for one individual to use multiple pathways during their recovery journey. Examples of recovery pathways include, but are not limited to:

• Peer-supported recovery, which typically involves participation in mutual aid groups like 12-step programs and social support systems/people such as peer support specialists, recovery housing, and collegiate recovery programs.
• Treatment-assisted recovery, which most often means professional support from a therapist, a doctor, or another credentialed professional. Treatment-assisted recovery may include medication, therapy, or both.
• Faith-based recovery, which leverages religious and/or spiritual belief systems as frameworks for recovery, and may involve congregation- or clergy-based support services.
• Natural recovery, which happens when a person achieves recovery through individual, interpersonal resources. Natural recovery occurs in the absences of professional treatment, mutual aid, or peer support groups.

It’s critical for everyone interested in recovery to understand that what works for one person may not work for another. When a person decides to seek support for a mental health and/or substance user disorder, it’s essential to allow them to discover which pathway will work best for them, and support them on their recovery journey, whatever path they choose.

Recovery Month 2023: Week-By-Week Themes and Goals

For 2023, SAMHSA created weekly themes and goals to help advocates clarify their messaging and reach more people with reliable facts and information about treatment and recovery. We’ll share these weekly themes and goals now.

Week One: September 4^th – 10^th

Theme: Youth and Young People in Recovery

This theme highlights the role that families have in supporting loved ones in recovery, seeking recovery, or at the beginning of their recovery journey.

Core Messages:

• When a person enters recovery, it not only affects them, but also their family, friends, and anyone who cares about them. For a young person, this could mean teachers, coaches, tutors, or anyone directly involved in their life.
• Recovery means recovery for the whole person, which means improving their family life is part of their journey. Parents and caregivers play a key role in supporting young people in recovery, and creating a home atmosphere where they can grow and thrive.
• It’s hard to manage recovery and school: that’s why it’s important for families to be compassionate, caring, and supportive when a young person enters recovery
• Many family members and caregivers spend significant time and energy supporting their loved one in recovery. It’s important to recognize them and encourage them to engage in consistent self-care.

Week Two: September 11^th – 17^th

Theme: Ensuring Equitable Access to Recovery Resources

This theme brings attention to demographic groups traditionally underserved by the existing treatment and recovery infrastructure.

Core messages:

• People of color, older adults, people who live in rural areas, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, veterans, and people with disabilities are entitled to equal access to all recovery resources.
• Recovery and treatment that acknowledges and accepts cultural differences and embraces all cultural values and belief systems is called culturally competent treatment. When a person engages in culturally competent treatment, they’re more likely to achieve success.
• No one is alone on their recovery journey.
• Everyone has the right to choose a recovery path based on their values and life goals.
• With the right resources at the right time, everyone and anyone can recover and learn the skills they need to live a full and meaningful life.

Week Three: September 18^th – 24^th

Theme: Holistic Approach to Recovery and the Social Determinants of Health

This theme brings attention to the fact that recovery is about more than physical, mental, and emotional health: it involves every aspect of life, from environment to education to access to essential social support services.

Core messages:

• Recovery involves total wellness, and improves all aspects of a person’s life, and is not limited to addressing mental health or substance use issues.
• Evidence-based treatment can help people restore balance to their lives, regain control of their behavior, and contribute in positive and proactive ways to their communities and families.
• When an person with a mental health and/or substance use disorder has equal access to social support, adequate housing, quality education, and stable employment, their chances of achieving sustainable, long-term recovery increase.
• The most effective recovery is not one-size-fits-all: it’s personalized. The best treatment and recovery plans include individualized care tailored to meet the specific needs of each person.

Week 4 Four: September 25^th – 30^th

Theme: Peers and Peer Support

This theme highlights the importance of recovery peers and recognizes the value of peer support services in helping individuals and their families navigate the recovery journey.

Core messages:

• Experience recovery peers model the recovery lifestyle, and offer their personal life stories freely, of themselves, which engenders a sense of belonging and hope to those new to or considering recovery
• Seeing, hearing, and talking to someone who has been where they are – and built a successful recovery – makes people new to recovery believe in themselves, and helps them create a tangible vision of what recovery looks like for them, in their lives
• Peers can help people new to recovery manage the challenging process of seeking professional support, and help them find and access essential social services such as food, housing, and vocational resources.
• Peer support is for families, too. Mutual aid groups for family members of people in recovery from a mental illness or substance use disorder can remind people that they’re not alone in their experience: for every person in recovery, there are others who support them who need support themselves.

How We Can All Help During Recovery Month

The theme “Recovery is for Everyone” reminds us that when we work to heal one person, we heal an important part of our community, and when we work to heal our communities, that work supports individual healing for every member of that community.

Treatment and recovery experts at SAMHSA it this way:

“The ‘Recovery is for Everyone’ concept inspires people across the world to transform the “I” into “we” and build bridges between families, communities, and groups. We celebrate our diversity and seek to develop deeper understanding, caring, and connection that nurtures recovery.”

Doing our part for Recovery Month means something different for each of us. We offered a short bullet list towards the beginning of this article about how we can work to raise awareness and end or reduce the stigma attached to mental illness/substance use and treatment for mental illness/substance use. Treatment professionals are in a position to have a large impact because people will listen to them, based on their experience and expertise.

However, one area we can all help is by reducing stigma. To do that, we need to look within, and try to understand and address the vestiges of unconscious stigma that persist in our thoughts and feelings. When we can unpack those issues, we can help others do the same. The internal work is personal, but there are things we can do and say – or not do and say – that have an impact.

For instance, we all want to avoid using these words/phrases:

Addict:

This word is heavy with judgment, and it’s time to put it to rest. Labeling a person as an addict often relegates them to second-class citizen status – in their mind and in the minds of the people who use or hear the term.

Alcoholic:

Ditto what we wrote about the word addict. This is an archaic, non-medical term that has, for decades, served to ostracize people with alcohol use disorder (AUD).

Drug Abuser:

This phrase marginalizes people who use drugs, and decreases the likelihood they’ll feel safe in seeking support.

Clean:

A person who does not use alcohol or drugs in no cleaner than a person who uses alcohol or drugs.

Sober:

A person can have sober thoughts regardless of whether they’ve had an alcohol or drug use disorder.

Crazy:

A person with a mental health disorder is not crazy.

Finally, if you’re interested in advocating for Recovery Month with graphics or any kind of pictures, please avoid using stereotypical images like hypodermic needles for drug use, straightjackets for mental health treatment, or any depiction of alcohol or drug use that either glamorizes or overtly stigmatizes the behavior/activity.

When we’re all on the same page, heading in the same direction, working toward the same goals, we can and will make a difference during this Recovery Month, and in the months and years to come.

Finding Help: Resources

To find treatment and support for yourself or a loved one, or learn more about treatment and recovery, please use the following resources:

• The SAMHSA treatment finder here
• The American Psychological Association (APA) treatment finder here
• The National Empowerment Center
• Youth Move National, a resource for youth seeking peer support
• SAMHSA-sponsored links for treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD):
  • Buprenorphine Practitioner Locator
  • Opioid Treatment Program (OTP) Directory (Methadone treatment)

The post Recovery Month 2023: Recovery is for Every Person, Every Family, and Every Community appeared first on Pinnacle Treatment Centers.

In broad terms, both the act itself and the changes implemented since its initial passage work to expand mental health insurance coverage and create equity with other types of healthcare covered by insurance plans. Essentially, the government wants insurers to approach mental health and substance use disorder coverage the same way they approach coverage for physical injuries, diseases, or accidents.

On August 8^th, 2023, the White House, in collaboration with the Internal Revenue Service, the Department of the Treasury, the Employee Benefits Security Administration, the Department of Labor, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and the Department of Health and Human Services, proposed a new set of amendments to the MHPAEA to ensure full and transparent compliance with the letter and spirit of the law.

This is an important step forward for mental health insurance coverage. Here’s how the American Psychological Association (APA) summarizes these new amendments to the MHPAEA:

“For far too long and despite efforts from the federal and state governments, many insurers have treated mental health as an afterthought to physical health, leaving patients and families dealing with mental health and addiction issues scrambling to find affordable care, or going without. Today’s actions from the White House to bolster and strengthen enforcement of the mental health parity law are important steps toward ensuring more Americans who need these services can access them.”

We’ll review the proposed improvements to the MHPAEA in a moment. First, we’ll offer a brief summary of the initial law. We’ll also review the changes that led to this latest round of proposals.

What is the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA)?

We describe the core of the act above. The goal in 1996 was to put mental health treatment on equal footing with treatment for physical disease, illness, and injury. The initial act did the following:

• Created parity with physical disease for annual dollar limits on coverage for mental health services in insurance plans
• Created parity with physical disease for lifetimes dollar limits on coverage for mental health services in insurance plans

When Congress updated the act in 2008, they changed the name to reflect the updates. The new act – the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) – included the following additions and expansions:

• Extended annual and yearly provisions from the MHPA to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment in addition to mental health treatment
• To reiterate, those provisions created parity with regards to:
  • Financial requirements for MH/SUD treatment, including deductibles, copays, number of visits, and days of coverage
• Required MH/SUD coverage to be excluded from separate cost-sharing or treatment limitations that only apply to MH/SUD coverage
• Required insurers to provide out-of-network MH/SUD coverage

In 2010, after the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the departments involved – IRS, HHS, Treasure, and Labor, released the first set of regulations for implementation of the MHPAE. The details of these regulations are laden with the insurance jargon. It’s the type of language that’s nearly impossible for laypeople to understand without a glossary. Phrases like nonquantitative treatment limits (NQTLs) abound. Those refer to limits that are not dollar amounts, but rather address complex issues.

What Are NQTLs?

These are limits or exclusions on:

• Treatment networks made available to patients
• The type of visits covered
• Prior authorization policies
• Other non-dollar amount factors

All these factors are related to mental health and addiction insurance coverage. In some cases, they can determine whether a person receives the stated benefits in their insurance policies.

To read about the 2010 rules and their implementation, please read: FAQs About the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act.

What’s in the Proposed Changes?

We mention the rules detailed in the link we provide directly above because they’re the subject of the new rules the White House seeks to implement with the latest round of proposals submitted in August 2023.

The goal of the new proposals by the White House is to ensure insurance providers comply with not only the letter, but the spirit and concept behind the provisions in the MHPAEA. That’s where all the jargon and complex insurance language comes in. There’s a labyrinthine system of accountability and compliance procedures that would befuddle most laypeople, and also likely cause healthcare providers to scratch their heads in confusion, as well.

The new rules seek to bring order and parity to the complicated rules, regulations, and various compliance procedures. The rules will affect the internal reporting procedures of the insurance companies, which law requires they file regularly with the federal government. Regular people using their insurance will never know about all these behind-the-scenes details, but they will, however, feel the direct impact of these rules because they’ll bolster the ability of the federal government to require insurers to meet the equity standards for mental health and addiction insurance as defined in the MHPAEA.

The New Rules: MHPAEA

Insurance companies must:

• Implement updated requirements for NQTLs that help plans improve their comparative analyses:
  • This means that when insurance companies report how and when they cover MH and SUD treatment, they must provide more accurate and transparent information.
• Require plans to collect and analyze data on the outcomes of their NQTLs.
• Require plans to address material differences in access between mental health/SUD and other medical benefits. These comparative analyses are mandatory for any plans that cover MH and SUD treatment.
  • This means insurers must accurately and transparently evaluate the following:
    • Actual provider networks
    • Real, documented pay to out-of-network providers
    • Actual data on prior authorization, including when it’s required and actual approval and denial rates
  • Submit all comparative analyses of coverage to all relevant departments – IRS, HH, Labor, Treasury – for review.
  • Require insurers that are not in compliance to document their action plan to bring any relevant plans into compliance. This includes any plan that covers MH/SUD treatment.
  • Require insurers to report the timely and accurate implementation of action steps to bring out-of-compliance plans into compliance
  • Prevent plans from limiting mental health and SUD insurance when analyses determine noncompliance
  • Require non-federal governmental plans, including plans for state and local government employees, to comply with the parity rules.
    • This would expand MHPAEA-compliant coverage to include at least 90,000 additional people

To assist insurance providers in their efforts to bring plans into compliance, the new rules contain specific examples on how to ensure any allowable nonquantitative treatment limits (NQTLs) related to mental health and/or substance use disorder (SUD) do indeed meet all the rules and regulations established by law in 1996, 2008, 2010, 2020, and again in 2023.

Rules and Regulations to Reduce Barriers to Mental Health and SUD Treatment

In addition, the rules – contained in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (CAA) – require that the IRS, HHS, Treasury, and Labor departments review all the comparative analyses submitted by insurers, and provide the results of their various reviews to Congress on an annual basis. These reports are not a new requirement. However, this law introduces language that makes it clear to insurance providers – in no uncertain terms – that they must establish parity for MH/SUD coverage, and document that parity accurately and transparently.

These rules have a track history of success:

• A plan that excluded 22,000 patients from coverage removed the exclusion. The expansion granted coverage to the 22,000 affected patients
• A plan that excluded coverage for applied behavioral analysis (ABA) for people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) removed that exclusion. The expansion gave more than one million patients coverage under that plan.

Here’s how the Assistant Director of Employee Benefits Security at the Department of Health and Human Services, Lisa M. Gomez, describes these new rules:

“Anyone who has ever lived with a mental health condition or substance use disorder knows how hard getting through the day can be at times and should not have to be worried about facing obstacles to getting treatment. Yet, throughout the U.S., people in need of help continue to encounter…restrictions on their mental health and substance use disorder benefits. Today’s proposed rulemaking is an important step for the departments and stakeholders to work together to make parity a reality.”

We commit to reducing barriers to care. We offer the best possible evidence-based treatment for people with mental health and/or substance use disorder available. We’re in accord with the APA and Assistant Director Gomez on these new rules. We’re ready to welcome new patients for treatment at any of our locations. We hope that this new law and these new rules enable more people who need professional support for mental health and/or substance use disorder to seek treatment with full confidence that the benefits enumerated in their insurance plans are honored by their insurance providers.

The post White House Seeks Changes in Mental Health Insurance Rules appeared first on Pinnacle Treatment Centers.

Minority Mental Health Awareness Month (MMHAM): 15 Years Strong

Mental Health America (MHA), a non-profit mental health advocacy group, held the first ever Mental Health Month (MHAM)in 1949. To learn more about MHAM, please navigate to the blog section of our website and read these articles:

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

Mental Health Awareness Month: The Loneliness Epidemic in the United States

Mental Health Awareness Month: Mental Health Among Older Adults and Seniors

In 2008, to honor the life and work of minority mental health advocate Bebe Moore Campbell, the U.S. Congress passed a law establishing the month of July as Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month (MMHAM).

Here’s how she described the need for an increase in awareness about mental health in minority communities, and the importance of events like MMHAM:

“We need a national campaign to destigmatize mental illness, especially one targeted toward African Americans…It’s not shameful to have a mental illness. Get treatment. Recovery is possible.”

Bebe Moore Campbell wrote a book on generational trauma among called “Your Blues Ain’t Like Mine” and a children’s book called “Sometimes Mommy Gets Angry” about how a young girl manages growing up with a mother with mental illness.

Her work on trauma and mental health among minority populations in the U.S. earned praise and accolades from politicians and cultural leaders from all walks of life. “Your Blues Ain’t Like Mine” made the New York Times Magazine Most Influential Books of 1992 list, and “Sometimes Mommy Gets Angry” won the Outstanding Literature Award for 1993 from the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

However, her enduring legacy is MMHAM. This year, Mental Health America chose the following theme for MMHAM:

Culture, Community, and Connection

Here’s their reasoning behind this choice:

• Minority populations face disproportionate historical trauma and displacement
• These inequities challenge the foundation of minority communities
• Despite decades of systemic attempts to take away power, invalidate/erase history, and prevent success, minority communities find ways to thrive
• Culture, community, and connection are the core components of the minority experience in the U.S.
• When oppression and systemic racism threaten minority communities, culture and connection keep them together

The survival of minority communities in the face of inequity is a testament to their strength and resiliency. In this article, we’ll discuss how MHA and other advocates plan to honor these communities during MMHAM 2023.

First, though, we’ll talk about the big picture – mental health-wise – in the United States right now, with the latest reliable data from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2021 NSDUH).

Mental Health: A Growing Challenge Nationwide

We need to address the overall, big-picture numbers, because they’ll help us understand the broader context of mental health disorder prevalence and mental health treatment in the U.S. Here are some general statistics everyone should know and understand:

• 22.8% of adults in the U.S. had a diagnosable mental illness in 2021
• 5.5% adults in the U.S. had a serious mental illness in 2021
• Ove 50% of mental health conditions appear before age 14, while 75% appear by age 24
• 46% of people who die by suicide have a diagnosed mental illness
• Suicide was the 11th leading cause of death in the U.S. in 2021
• On average, there’s an 11-year gap between onset of symptoms and seeking treatment for a mental health disorder
• Barriers to mental health include the cost, prejudice, discrimination, and overall structural inequity (see below)
• Only 47.2% of people diagnosed with any mental illness receive the treatment they need

Let’s look at the first and last bullet points side-by side.

Each year, 22.8% in the U.S. have a mental health disorder that meets clinical criteria, but only 47.2% receive treatment for that mental health disorder. Those figures tell us that in 2021, with a total of 57.8 million people diagnosed with a mental health disorder, over 27 million people did not receive the professional support and care they needed.

That’s why we need mental health awareness month overall. Now let’s look at why we need something like Minority Mental Health Awareness Month – starting with the significant barriers to care members of minority populations face every day.

Minority Mental Health: What Are Barriers to Care?

Barriers to care refers to factors that restrict access to mental health treatment by members of minority groups. Evidence published in MMHAM Toolkit shows that minority groups experience the following barriers to care with disproportionate frequency, compared to members of majority demographic groups.

Barriers to Care: Minority Groups in the U.S

• Structural inequity in health care system
• Cost
• Lack of insurance
• Inadequate insurance
• Stigma around mental illness
• Stigma around mental illness treatment
• Inadequate diversity/representation in mental health care and mental health care providers
• Inadequate cultural competence in mental health care and among mental health care providers
• Language barriers
• Generational trauma resulting in distrust in the health care system
• Inadequate funding in public social safety net programs, i.e. Medicare, Medicaid

In addition, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) published a report in 2017 called the “2017 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report,” which reached the following conclusions. In the U.S., members of minority demographic groups:

• Have less access to mental health services than members of majority groups
• Use community mental health services less frequently than members of majority groups
• Use emergency departments as basic health care more frequently than members of majority groups
• Receive lower-quality care, overall, than members of majority groups

That’s why we need MMHAM. Members of minority groups in the U.S. simply don’t experience equity in health care or mental health care. The long-term goal is what the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) called mental health equity. The CDC defines this as follows:

“Mental health equity is the state in which everyone has a fair and just opportunity to reach their highest level of mental health and emotional well-being.”

With the concept of mental health equity front of mind, let’s take a look at the latest data on mental health among minorities in the U.S.

Minority Mental Health: Facts and Figures

The following information is available in two easy-to-find locations online. The first is the 2021 NSDUH, which we mention above. The second is the resource page for MMHAM maintained by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health (OMH).

First, we’ll share the overall prevalence of mental illness for the main demographic groups in the U.S.

Any Mental Illness/Serious Mental Illness: 2021

Two or More Races:

• AMI: 34.9%
• SMI: 8.2%

American Native:

• AMI: 26.6%
• SMI: 9.3%

Asian:

• AMI: 16.4%
• SMI: 2.8%

Black:

• AMI: 21.4%
• SMI: 4.3%

Hispanic/Latino:

• AMI: 20.7%
• SMI: 5.1%

Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander:

• AMI: 18.1%
• SMI: 6.3%

White:

• AMI: 23.9%
• SMI: 6.1%

Please notice two things about these statistics: the rates of AMI an SMI among people of two or more races and American Natives. For AMI, multiracial people experience rates that are close to 50 percent higher than most single-race demographic groups. For SMI, multiracial people experience rates that are 25-75 percent higher than most single-race demographic groups. Also, for AMI, American Natives experience rates that are 30-35 percent higher than most demographic groups. For SMI, American Natives show the highest rate of all demographic groups, with rates are between 50 and 350 percent greater than other demographic groups.

Next, let’s look at rates of depression and depression treatment. In the NSDUH, major depressive disorder is a proxy metric for a clinical diagnosis of major depressive disorder (MDD).

Depression and Depression Treatment Among Minority Groups: Facts and Figures

These statistics are also available online from the 2021 NSDUH and the U.S. Office of Minority Health (OMH). Here’s the data:

Major Depressive Episode (MDE), MDE with Severe Impairment, Treatment

Two or More Races:

• MDE: 13.9%
  • Received treatment: 60.7%
• MDE with Severe Impairment: 9.9%
  • Received treatment: (data not available)

American Indian or Alaska Native:

• MDE: 11.2%
  • Received treatment: (data n/a)
• MDE with Severe Impairment: 7.7%
  • Received treatment: (data n/a)

Asian:

• MDE: 13.8%
  • Received treatment: (data n/a)
• MDE with Severe Impairment: 10.0%
  • Received treatment: (data n/a)

Black or African American:

• MDE: 6.7%
  • Received treatment: 51%
• MDE with Severe Impairment: 4.6%
  • Received treatment: 52.5%

Hispanic/Latino:

• MDE: 7.9%
  • Received treatment: 58.5%
• MDE with Severe Impairment: 5.4%
  • Received treatment: 59.7%

Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander:

• MDE: 5.1%
  • Received treatment: (data n/a)
• MDE with Severe Impairment: 4.7%
  • Received treatment: (data n/a)

White

• MDE: 8.9%
  • Received treatment: 64%
• MDE with Severe Impairment: 6.1%
  • Received treatment: 68.6%

From this set of data, please also note the information on multiracial people. For people of two or more races, these figures show rates of major depressive (MDE) 55 percent higher than White people, 108 percent higher than Black people, and 75 percent higher than Hispanic people. These figures also show rates of MDE with Severe Impairment among multiracial people that are 65% higher than White people, 118 percent higher than Black people, and 85 percent higher than Hispanic people.

We’ll also make another point about this data set. When we look at the treatment rates, we may be tempted to think that rates near or over 60 percent – as we see above – are good news we should be satisfied with.  We may think, “those rates are actually pretty good.”

This is where our unconscious stigma against and misunderstanding of mental health shows itself clearly. Those treatment rates are not good enough. The fact most of us likely think they’re acceptable reveals that we have a long, long way to go, with regards to understanding the needs of people who need mental health treatment. Think of it like this: if only 70 percent – the highest number we see above – of people with diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, or cancer received treatment, it would likely be an enormous public scandal and we’d probably declare a public health emergency.

Celebrating Culture, Connection, and Community: How We Can All Support Minority Mental Health Awareness Month

If we’re bring honest, we need to recalibrate our goals and expectations and consider the need for better health for members of minority demographic groups year-round, not just during the month of July. Therefore, when we offer the two lists below, please consider raising awareness not only this month for MMHAM, but year ‘round.

The first thing we all need to do is understand and address inequities in the social determinants of health (SDOH), which include:

• Economic stability
• Education access and quality
• Healthcare access and quality
• Neighborhood and built environment
• Social and community context

Those are nationwide, structural forces that we need to remediate in order to bring full equity to mental health care for minority demographic groups. With regards to specific actions we can all take to raise awareness about minority mental health, the organizers at MHA compiled a brief list, which we share below. For a full examination of what public, private, and other organizations can do to raise awareness for MMHAM, please download their full toolkit here.

Mental Health America: How to Be an Advocate for Minority Mental Health Awareness Month

Members of any community can advocate for:

1. Increased access to essential resources. These include:

• Physical and mental health programs
• Functional, accessible community infrastructure
• WiFi
• Healthy food sources

2. Culturally competent social services.
3. Culturally competent mental healthcare providers
4. Educational opportunities at all levels
5. Decreased us vs. them policing and surveillance. The community policing model is associated with:

• Decreased police and community violence
• Stronger feelings of safety
• Enhanced trust between communities and public officials

We’ll close with a quote from the MMHAM toolkit, which is a reminder that you don’t have to be a member of a minority community to care about, support, or advocate for better minority mental health:

“There is power in numbers, and there is always a need for solidarity from allies who are willing to uplift and give space to those within the communities they support. When allies show support and solidarity in public and action-oriented ways, they can…promote wellness, increase social power, and improve cross-cultural unity.”

The post Minority Mental Health Month 2023: Culture, Connection, Community appeared first on Pinnacle Treatment Centers.

According to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) 147 anti-transgender bills were introduced in state legislatures in 2021. This was a significant increase from 2020, which saw the introduction of a then-record 79 bills that focused on transgender people.

Sadly, this trend shows no signs of dissipating.

Most of the recent governmental efforts to curtail the rights of transgender teenagers have focused on three areas: healthcare, school, and sports. Here are a few examples that gained widespread media attention.

2021-2023: Anti-Transgender Legislation Focused on Teens

• In February 2021, two Republican members of the Ohio House of Representatives introduced a bill (HB 61) that would bar transgender students from playing interscholastic sports. At the time that the bill was introduced, there was one transgender athlete on a high school team in the entire state.
• In February 2022, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton described gender reassignment surgery, puberty blockers, and hormone treatments as “child abuse” and directed the state’s Department of Family and Protective Services to investigate medical professionals who provide gender-affirming care to teenagers.
• In August 2022, the Florida State Board of Medicine voted to begin a process that could result in a statewide prohibition on gender-affirming care for teens age 18 and younger.
• In September 2022, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin revised the state’s policies regarding transgender youth, prohibiting transgender students from using restrooms or pronouns that do not align with the sex they were assigned at birth.
• In 2023, the following states passed bills banning, restricting, or otherwide limiting gender-affirming care for minors. Some of
  • Idaho: goes into effect on January 1st, 2024
  • Indiana: goes into effect on July 1st, 2023
  • Georgia: goes into effect on July 1st, 2023
  • Kentucky: goes into effect in June, 2023
  • Montana: goes into effect on October 1st, 2023
  • Nebraska: goes into effect on October 1st, 2023
  • South Dakota: goes into effect on July 1st, 2023
  • Tennessee: does not go into effect until July 1, 2023.
  • West Virginia: goes into effect on January 1st, 2024

As of June 2023, 21 states have passed legislation to prevent transgender students from playing sports on teams that are consistent with their preferred gender identity.

The Impact on Transgender Teens’ Mental Health

In August 2022, The Trevor Project released its fourth annual survey of mental health concerns among young people within the LGBTQIA community. The 2022 version of this survey included information from almost 34,000 young people ages 13-24. About 48% of survey respondents were either transgender or nonbinary.

The survey’s findings included the following statistics about the mental well-being of transgender youth:

• More than 70% of transgender youth reported symptoms of anxiety, and more than 60% said they had symptoms that were consistent with a depressive disorder.
• Almost 60% of transgender boys and almost 50% of transgender girls considered suicide in the past year.
• About 15% of transgender and nonbinary youth attempted suicide last year.
• More than one-third of transgender or nonbinary youth said they had been physically harmed or threatened with harm because of their gender identity.
• More than 90% of transgender youth said they were concerned that local or state laws would prevent them from accessing gender-affirming medical care or using the correct restroom.
• More than 80% of LGBTQIA youth said they wanted mental health treatment last year, but 60% of these young people reported that they were unable to access the care they needed.

It is not possible to tie mental health trends to any single specific cause. But several sources have cited factors such as discrimination, abuse, violence, and rejection as contributing to elevated rates of mental illness within the LGBTQIA community. And researchers have also established how stress can affect the adolescent brain.

With transgender youth now being openly targeted by some of the most powerful politicians and organizations in the nation, ensuring that these young people have the support they need is truly a matter of life and death.

How You Can Support Your Transgender Teen

The magnitude of the challenges facing transgender teens across the country can often feel overwhelming. It’s easy to become frustrated and it’s not uncommon to feel powerless. However, as a parent, you have the ability to do something that no one else in the world can: You can ensure that your child knows beyond any shadow of a doubt that they have your full support and your unconditional love

To accomplish this, here are a few key areas to focus on:

Acceptance

It is virtually impossible to overstate the importance of demonstrating to your child not only that you accept them, but that you celebrate who they are today and who they are in the process of becoming.

The Trevor Project’s 2022 survey found that fewer than 33% of transgender or nonbinary youth believe that their home is a gender-affirming place. The survey also found that LGBTQ youth who live in communities where they feel accepted are significantly less likely to attempt suicide.

One important way to let your child know you accept and value them is to refer to them in the manner that they prefer:

• If your child has changed their name to align more closely with their gender identity, always use this name when speaking to or about them.
• Use the pronouns that align with your child’s gender identity.
• If someone addresses your child by their deadname (the name they received at birth), or they misgender your child by using incorrect pronouns, correct them immediately.

Accepting your transgender teen doesn’t mean you have to agree on everything. You can still argue about household responsibilities, homework, and myriad other topics that have been sources of parent-child conflict for generations. But when it comes to your teen’s gender identity – the very essence of who they are as a person – let there never be any doubt that you are 100% on their side.

Advocacy

Acceptance and advocacy are complementary efforts. Acceptance focuses on making sure your teen knows that they are safe and supported in your home and within your family. Advocacy aims to expand this sense of safety and support by making schools, businesses, communities, and other environments more tolerant and welcoming places for your child and other transgender teens.

Advocacy can take many forms. You don’t have to launch a global campaign to bring about meaningful change. Some of the most important acts of advocacy occur via one-on-one conversations (such as making sure other people understand the importance of using proper names and pronouns when speaking to or about transgender teens).

Here are some other ways you can become an effective advocate for your child.

How to Advocate for Your Trans Teen

• Remind friends, relatives, neighbors, and others who regularly interact with your family that being respectful to your child is non-negotiable. Be willing to enforce this standard. If this means limiting or completely cutting off contact with people who refuse to treat your child with the dignity they deserve, consider doing so.
• Speak with teachers, guidance counselors, and other relevant school personnel to make sure they take all necessary steps to protect and support your child and other LGBTQIA students.
• Contact your elected representatives on the local, state, and national levels to voice your support for laws that affirm the rights of transgender teenagers and their families.
• Join organizations that work to push back against anti-trans legislation and otherwise address the challenges faced by transgender youth.
• Speak up in all situations where transgender teenagers or other members of the LGBTQIA community are disrespected, misrepresented, or denied fundamental rights.

Advocacy is both an action and a mindset. Once you commit to making the world a better place for transgender teenagers, you’ll see additional opportunities for change and discover how you can do the greatest amount of good.

Safety

Keeping your child safe means more than making sure they are not physically harmed. It also means protecting their mental health and their emotional well-being. An effective safety plan for your transgender teen may include the following elements:

• Finding a doctor who understands the needs of transgender youth and who is committed to providing appropriate services in a compassionate manner.
• Making appointments for your child with a therapist or counselor who has experience working with transgender, nonbinary, or gender-questioning young people.
• Identifying places other than your home where your child can go if they are in danger. This may include locations such as the classroom of a protective teacher, the homes of trusted friends or family members, and LGBTQIA-inclusive houses of worship.
• Verifying that the teachers, coaches, and other adults who work with your child enforce strict anti-bullying policies and are trained to identify signs of abuse, thoughts of suicide, and other safety concerns among young people.
• Asking your child what you can do to make them feel safer and better supported – and then following through on whatever suggestions or feedback they provide.

Honesty

Honesty and trust are essential features of any healthy relationship.

Unfortunately, as we discuss above, the honest truth is that in the early 2020s, lawmakers in various states are creating an unwelcoming environment for transgender teenagers and other members of the LGBTQIA community.

Having an honest and trusting relationship with your child doesn’t mean that you need to share every article you read about the latest attack on transgender rights with them. It also doesn’t mean that you have to express the full scope of your fears about the dangers they face.

What it does mean, though, is that your teen needs to know that you will always listen to their concerns and give them honest, age-appropriate answers to the questions they have.

This includes being forthright about the fact that, through absolutely no fault of their own, your child will face challenges and obstacles that cisgender youth will not. Some of these challenges may come in the form of microaggressions or cruel behavior by both peers and adults. Other obstacles may be codified into law and have the support of prominent public figures.

In addition to talking about concerns like this, it’s equally important to listen to your child. Let them discuss what they’ve heard at school or seen online. Provide a safe space where they can share their greatest hopes and their deepest fears. Create a space free from worry that they’ll be criticized, judged, or treated with anything less than unconditional love.

There is no easy way to have conversations like this. But you cannot create meaningful change without acknowledging the realities transgender teens may face. Also, your willingness to speak openly and honestly will show your child that, whatever comes their way, you have their back – now and forever.

Community

Isolation can have a devastating impact on your child. It can also be harmful to you, your partner, and other members of your immediate family. But even if your city or state isn’t a supportive place for transgender teens, your child can still be part of a community where they can flourish. Here are a few suggestions to help you get started:

• Many schools offer Gay-Straight Alliance clubs or other organizations for LGBTQIA students. If your child’s school doesn’t have anything like this yet, talk to the administrators about starting one. If your child’s school isn’t a supportive environment, find (or start) a community-based group.
• Look into online support groups for your teen. The online world can be a dangerous place, so it’s important to find reputable groups that are associated with trustworthy organizations. Thankfully, there are a number of options that meet these criteria. You just need to do a bit of research to find the ones that are best for your child.
• Get together with other parents of transgender teens. Whether you connect in person or online, being able to share insights and get suggestions from people who have similar experiences can be extremely beneficial to you and your child.
• Participating in support organizations as we mentioned in the “Advocacy” section above can connect you with others who share your interests, goals, and priorities. They can also help you identify additional sources of peer support for your teenager.

Additional Resources

Supporting your transgender teen requires constant vigilance and continued learning. As the challenges they encounter change, you will need to adapt the type and level of care you provide. Here are some additional resources that may be valuable to you in the months and years to come:

• Transgender Children & Youth: Understanding the Basics (Human Rights Campaign)
• A Guide to Being an Ally to Transgender and Nonbinary Youth (The Trevor Project)
• Transgender Reading List for Adults (PFLAG)
• Supporting the Transgender People in Your Life (National Center for Transgender Equality)
• Tips for Allies (GLAAD)
• Communicating with Family and Friends (Gender Spectrum)

The post PRIDE Month at Pinnacle: How to Support Your Transgender Teen appeared first on Pinnacle Treatment Centers.

Here’s how the people at MHA they describe the theme for 2023:

“From your neighborhood to genetics, many factors come into play when it comes to mental health conditions. We encourage everyone to consider how the world around you affects your mental health: look around, look within.”

To read a complete description of MHAM and learn how you can participate, please navigate to the blog section of our website and read this article:

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

We’ve also published two additional articles that address mental health in the U.S. in 2023, as part of our mental health advocacy efforts. You can read these articles here:

Mental Health Awareness Month: The Loneliness Epidemic in the United States

Mental Health Awareness Month: Did Anxiety and Depression Increase in Children and Teens During COVID-19

This article is also part of our MHAM advocacy efforts. We realized we needed to write this article when we read a recent CDC report that indicated that between 2020 and 2021, drug overdose deaths among seniors increased more than in any other age group. The connection between substance use and mental health is undeniable. In fact, the disordered use of substances itself is classified as a mental health disorder, called substance use disorder (SUD).

To help raise awareness about mental health and substance use among seniors, we’ll offer the latest prevalence rates of mental illness and substance use among seniors, share the latest statistics on mental health and substance use treatment among seniors, and close by describing two important national programs currently in place, which are designed to support seniors with mental illness.

Mental Illness, Alcohol and Substance Use, and Treatment Among Older Adults and Seniors: Facts and Figures

We’ll start with big-picture information provided by The World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO offers these insights on the mental health of older adults and seniors worldwide:

• Between now and 2050, the proportion of adults age 60+ years will increase from 12% to 22%
• Mental health disorders – alongside neurological conditions – account for 6.6% of disability among adults 60+
• 15% of adults age 60+ have a mental health disorder
• Dementia affects 50 million older adults worldwide

Next, we’ll offer the latest prevalence rates of mental health disorders in the United States, as reported by the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2021 NSDUH).

We’ll begin with older adults diagnosed with a mental illness or a serious mental illness. We include the prevalence rates among other age groups for comparison and perspective.

Mental Illness Among Older Adults

Any Mental Illness (AMI):

• 18-25: 33.7% (11.3 million)
• 26-49: 28.1% (28.8 million)
• 65+: 11.9% (698,000)

Serious Mental Illness (SMI):

• 18-25: 11.4% (3.8 million)
• 26-49: 7.1% (7.3 million)
• 50+: 2.5% (3.0 million)
  • Received treatment: 71% (2 million)
  • 61% received medication (1.8 million)

Now we’ll look at rates of major depressive episode (MDE) and MDE with severe impairment among adults. In the NSDUH, the categories MDE and MDE with severe impairment serve as proxy metric for diagnosis of major depressive disorder (MDD) and severe MDD. Again, we include data on other age groups for purposes of comparison and perspective.

Depression Among Adults

Major Depressive Episode (MDE):

• 18-25: 18.6% (6.2 million)
• 26-49: 9.3% (9.5 million)
• 50+: 4.5% (5.3 million)
• 65+: 2.8% (1.5 million)

MDE With Severe Impairment:

• 18-25: 13.3% (4.4 million)
• 26-49: 6.5% (6.6 million)
• 50+: 2.9% (3.4 million)
• 65+: 1.3% (739,000)

Next, we’ll look at the rates of treatment for depression among older adults, with other age groups included.

Depression Treatment Among Adults

• Adults 18+ with MDE:
  • 18-25: 51.1% received treatment (3.1 million)
  • 26-49: 63.5% received treatment (5.9 million)
  • 50+: 68.2% (3.5 million)
• Adults 18+ with MDE with severe impairment:
  • 64.8% received treatment (9.1 million)
  • 18-25: 56.7% received treatment (2.4 million)
  • 26-49: 66.6% received treatment (4.3 million)
  • 50+: 71.8% received treatment (2.3 million)

When we read this last set of statistics, our reactions are mixed. We’re encouraged that rates of treatment are relatively high, especially among people over age fifty. However, the fact that we’re encouraged reveals something that’s definitely not encouraging. We accept treatment rates in the 50-70 percent range as good ­– but when we think about it, that’s not good enough. We would not accept those treatment rates for people with chronic physical conditions such as hypertension and diabetes, and we should not accept them for mental health disorder such as depression.

That’s another reason for the existence of MHAM. Despite significant progress over the past 20 years, our ideas about mental health disorders and treatment are still skewed. We can work to recalibrate our perceptions, and normalize treatment, so that we can expect – and deliver – treatment rates that are higher than the current data reveal.

We’ll shift gears now, and report on prevalence rates of alcohol and drug use among adults, followed by prevalence rates of people diagnosed with a mental health disorder and alcohol/substance use disorder AUD/SUD) at the same time. When this happens, an individual receives a dual diagnosis and has what clinicians call co-occurring disorders.

Alcohol, Drug Use, and Co-Occurring Disorders Among Older Adults

We’ll define the two terms you’ll find in the following data in case you’ve never seen them. Binge alcohol use refers to drinking five or more alcoholic beverages in under two hours for males, and four or more alcoholic beverages in under two hours for females. Heavy alcohol use refers to five or more binge drinking episodes in a one-month period, for males or females.

Here’s the data:

Alcohol and Drug Use Among Older Adults

• Past Month Alcohol Use:
  • 50-64: 47.1%
  • 65+: 42.2
• Binge Alcohol Use:
  • 50-64: 16.4%
  • 65+: 42.2%
• Heavy Alcohol Use:
  • 50-64: 6.7%
  • 65+: 2.8%
• Any illicit drug use:
  • 50-64: 47.1%
  • 65+: 38%
• Marijuana use:
  • 50-64: 44.0%
  • 65+: 38%
• Illicit drug other than marijuana:
  • 50-64: 4.8%
  • 65+: 7.3%

Those are the rates of drug and alcohol use among older adults. We include this information because any level of alcohol and drug use increases the risk of developing an alcohol or substance use disorder (AUD/SUD), which in turn is associated with increased risk of developing a mental health disorder. We report rates of AUD/SUD among older adults below.

Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) and Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Among Older Adults

• Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD)
  • 50-64: 7.6%
    • Received treatment: 0.6%
  • 65+: 5.3%%
    • Received treatment: 0.4%
• Substance Use Disorder:
  • • 50-64: 11.3%
      • Received treatment: 0.5%
    • 65+: 7.8%
      • Received treatment: 0.3%

In contrast to treatment for major depressive disorder, we can see that rates of treatment for AUD and SUD among older adults is very low: in both age groups above, for both SUD and AUD, this data tells us that 99 percent of older adults who needed treatment for AUD/SUD did not get the treatment they need.

That’s something we need to fix – sooner rather than later. This treatment gap is related to the next set of data we share. The longer a person with AUD or SUD goes without treatment, the greater their chance of developing a mental health disorder, and vice-versa. That means that those low treatment rates likely contribute to the phenomenon of co-occurring disorders.

Co-Occurring Disorders Among Older Adults and Seniors

To meet criteria for a co-occurring disorder, a person must receive a diagnosis of a mental health disorder and an alcohol and/or substance use disorder. Here’s the latest prevalence data from the 2021 NSDUH:

• Adults 18 to 25: 45.8% (15.3 million) had either SUD or AMI
• Among adults 26-49: 39.5% (40.4 million) had either SUD or AMI
• Adults 50+: 22.6% (26.7 million) had either SUD or AMI
• Adults with AMI and SUD:
  • 50+: 3.7% (4.4 million people)
• Adults with SMI and SUD:
  • 18+: 2.5% (6.4 million people)
  • 50+: 1.0%

Now we’ve finally arrived at the dataset that prompted us to write this article: the increase in overdose deaths among older adults and seniors between 2020 and 2021. In a surprise to public health officials, addiction treatment experts, and other, this data shows that Seniors age 65+ showed the largest increase among all age groups. This foreground the need for everything we’ve mentioned to this point in this article: awareness, advocacy, and treatment for mental health disorders and substance use disorders among older adults and seniors.

Overdose Deaths Among Older Adults Seniors 2020-2021 (Rate per 100,00 people)

• 55-64:
  • 2020: 37.3
  • 2021: 45.3
  • 21% increase
• 65+:
  • 2020: 9.4
  • 2021: 12.0
  • 27% increase

Those are the latest facts and figures – and that’s a lot of data to digest. If you’re curious about the sources and learning more details about these various disorders and how they manifest in the general public, we encourage you to click the links and explore the data firsthand. However, the summaries we offer above can give you a solid working idea of the current state of mental health among people over age 50 in the U.S.

Next,  let’s learn about how we can recognize the presence of a mental health disorder among older adults and seniors.

Older Adult and Senior Mental Health: Warning Signs and Risk Factors

The peer-reviewed journal article “Prevalence, Structure, and Risk Factors for Mental Disorders in Older People” identifies the risk factors for mental health disorders among older adults:

• Being female
• Loneliness
• Alcohol abuse
• Lack of education
• Financial shortage
• A family history of mental diseases
• Severe physical disease

The symptoms of mental health disorders among older adults include:

• Extreme changes in mood, energy level, or appetite
• Feeling flat or emotionless
• Persistent sadness
• Problems experiencing or feeling positive emotions
• Sleep problems: too much or too little
• Problems with concentration
• Restlessness/feeling edgy
• Anxiety/feeling stressed
• Anger/irritability
• Uncharacteristic aggression
• Headaches, stomachaches, nausea
• Increased or new use of alcohol and/or drugs
• Suicidality: thinking about, talking about, or planning suicide
• Risky behavior
• Uncharacteristic compulsive/impulsive behavior
• Uncomfortable emotions that disrupt typical behavior associated with work or family life
• Hallucinations, i.e., seeing, hearing, and feeling things that others don’t see/hear/feel

If an older person in your life – a family member, a friend, a coworker – shows any of these signs or symptoms and is considered at-risk, we encourage you to help them find professional treatment and support. That’s an essential step, and treatment can help an older person manage their emotions and life a full and fulfilling life.

We’ll close this article by discussing two programs currently in place that do exactly that: they support the mental health of older adults and seniors, and promote overall health, happiness, and wellbeing.

Special Programs Target Older Adult and Senior Mental Health

Between 2005 and 2010, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) published two helpful resources on mental health among seniors: The State of Mental Health and Aging in America: Brief #1 and Brief #2. In Brief #2, they describe two programs that help seniors with mental health issues: Project IMPACT and Project PEARLS.

• We’ll describe those programs now, starting with Project IMPACT.

Program 1: Project IMPACT

IMPACT is a program for older adults who have major depressive disorder or a related mood disorder. Here’s how it works:

• A nurse, social worker, or psychologist works with the primary care provider to develop a course of treatment.
  • During the initial visit, the depression care manager (DCM):
  • Assesses the patient
  • Provides information and about depression and depression treatment
  • Discusses treatment options and preferences with the patient
• DCMs encourage all older and senior patients to:
  • Stay physically active
  • Schedule and participate in pleasurable events
• Studies show that patients who participate in IMPACT care were twice as likely as usual care patients to experience a 50% or greater reduction in symptoms of depression.

Next, we’ll describe the PEARLS program.

Program 2: PEARLS (Program to Encourage Active Rewarding Lives for Seniors)

PEARLS is a short, patient-directed, patient-centered program. The goal of PEARLS is to teach practical, effective depression management techniques to older adults diagnosed with a depressive disorder. The program is for older adults who receive home-based social services from local community social support programs.

The program is designed to:

• Reduce depressive symptoms
• improve quality of life.
• Depression care managers (DCM) use three depression management techniques:
  • Problem solving. DCMs teach participants to recognize depressive symptoms, identify problems that exacerbate depression, and take steps to resolve those problems
  • Social and physical activity planning. In some cases, seniors with depression need coaching to plan the social and physical activities that improve their quality of life
  • Pleasant event planning and scheduling. This is similar to social and physical activity planning: pleasant events improve quality of life, and many seniors with depression need hep planning these types of events.
• DCMs meet with seniors according the following schedule:
  • (8) 50-minute in-home counseling sessions over two months
  • 3-6 maintenance session contacts conducted over the telephone
• Studies show that participants who received the PEARLS intervention were three times more likely than those receiving usual care to reduce symptoms of depression.

Those two programs, which began close to twenty years ago, have helped improve life for seniors around the country. Here’s something you may not know: you can help improve life for older adults and seniors, too.

Mental Health Awareness Month: How We Can Help Seniors

This year, during MHAM, we can all help older adults and seniors improve their mental health. We can start with the people in our families: reach out to older relatives and check in. If you see any warning signs of mental health or alcohol/drug issues, try to learn more about what’s going on. If possible, help them arrange a full mental health assessment: if they need treatment, the sooner they get it, the better the outcome.

The same is true for older adults and seniors who aren’t direct family members. Talk to them, ask questions, and find out how they’re doing. If you think they need help with mental health issues, you can find a local IMPACT or PEARLS program and connect them. If they don’t need professional mental health support, we encourage you to maintain a friendly relationship with them. A positive social network is a protective factor against mental illness for people of any age – and for older adults and seniors, it can make all the difference.

The post Mental Health Awareness Month: Mental Health Among Older Adults and Seniors appeared first on Pinnacle Treatment Centers.

To learn more about MHAM, please navigate to the blog section of our website and read this article:

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

That article presents a comprehensive overview of MHAM and the importance of mental health as a fundamental component of overall health and wellbeing. It recognizes the impact of environmental and community factors on mental health, and shares action steps we can all take to improve our communities and optimize the social, community, and environmental factors in our lives to improve our mental health.

This article is about a recent radical change in our community, social, and environmental factors that had a direct impact on our collective mental health: the COVID-19 pandemic. There are several direct connections between our work as SUD treatment providers, the COVID-19 pandemic, and mental health.

First, the presence of a mental health disorder – particularly anxiety or depression – can increase the risk of developing an SUD. Second, the phenomenon of co-occurring disorders – when a person has a mental health disorder and an SUD at the same time – is a partial driver of the current phase of the opioid overdose epidemic in the U.S. Third, overdose rates increased during the pandemic, partially due to the increase in pandemic-related stress. Finally, policymakers have embraced the concept of harm reduction to address the opioid crisis, which, among other things, prioritizes a whole-person, integrated, comprehensive approach to treatment – including a renewed focus on the role of mental health disorders in SUD/addiction.

It’s all connected: that’s why we’re taking the time to explore the data on changes in rates of anxiety and depression in children and adolescents during COVID-19

COVID-19 and Mental Health in the U.S.: How Did it Impact Children and Teens?

It’s now been three full years since the pandemic began and two full years since vaccines became available to most of us. That means it’s time for us to settle into our new normal – and it also means scientists have had time to examine all the data from 2020 and 2021 and arrive at evidence-based conclusions about the impact of the pandemic on mental health.

In March 2020, when the pandemic arrived in the United States, we organized a national strategy to mitigate the potential harm experts predicted the pandemic might cause. While our response varied from state to state and community to community, it’s safe to say that the pandemic changed daily life for millions of people across the country. Many businesses had to completely change the way they operate. Schools went virtual. People in various professions made the switch to working from home and engaging with coworkers via videoconference. Many others, unfortunately, experienced job loss or reduced hours that led to significant financial insecurity, and for some, food and housing instability as well.

Those factors increased default stress levels across the board – even in places where the COVID-19 prevention measures were not as extreme as others. They also prompted mental health experts to predict significant increases in rates of mental health disorders for adults. Experts in child and adolescent development warned the cumulative stress and changes would have a disproportionate effect on children and adolescents.

Here’s why they thought our youth were most at-risk of negative mental health outcomes associated with COVID-19.

Mitigation Measures: Potential to Disrupt Child and Teen Mental Health

• Previous research showed social isolation/quarantine increased risk in stress-related symptoms among children and adolescents by close to 400%
• Daily life changed dramatically in 2020-2021. Changes included:
  • More screen time
  • School closures and disruptions
  • Widespread cancellation of extracurricular activities
  • Widespread cancellation of milestone events like prom and graduation
  • Decreased direct contact with peers, resulting in an increase in isolation and loneliness
  • Decreased physical activity, resulting in decreased physical health and increased risk of mental health problems
  • Reduced access to support at school, including:
    • Breakfast, lunch, and snack programs
    • Tutoring
    • Academic counseling
    • Mental health support
  • Changes in family life included:
    • Increases in anxiety and depression among parents
    • Increased family violence
    • Job loss
    • Financial instability
    • Housing instability
    • Food insecurity
    • Increased alcohol consumption among adult family members

In 2020, it seemed almost guaranteed that the combination of all these factors would create a perfect storm for increased mental health problems for everyone, including children and teens. However, long-range studies that analyzed data from before and during the pandemic did not yield consistent results. For example, see below.

Youth and Teen Mental Health: Contradictory and Conflicting Research

• Many studies showed depression and anxiety symptoms have increased significantly
• Many studies showed depression and anxiety symptoms have decreased slightly
• Other studies showed no change in depression and anxiety symptoms
• Still others showed inconclusive, inconsistent results: increases in depression for some but not others, increases in anxiety for some, but not other

This type of inconsistency in results from experts can result in doubt and confusion in the general public. But more importantly, variability in results – or even conflicting results – can cause doubt and confusion among policymakers that ultimately make decisions that have a real and lasting impact on the mental health and wellbeing of individuals, families, and communities. And in this case, the data will be used to make policy that affects our future – meaning our children and adolescents.

A New Study Reconciles Conflicting Data

To address these inconsistencies – now that researchers have had time to collect and verify the data – a group of scientists conducted a wide-range meta-analysis called “Changes in Depression and Anxiety Among Children and Adolescents From Before to During the COVID-19 Pandemic.” The research team collected and reviewed data from 53 longitudinal studies from 12 countries with data on over 40,000 children and adolescents.

Here’s their primary research question, i.e., the question that drove their analysis:

“Did depression and anxiety symptoms increase in children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic?”

Rather than sharing the raw numbers of children and adolescents who reported symptoms of anxiety and depression before and during COVID-19, researchers use a metric called standardized mean changes (SMC). Using SMC allows researchers to collate and discuss results with accuracy when the studies they analyze address the same thing – in this example, anxiety and depression – but use different psychiatric metric tools to report their results. The SMC standardizes the original results using established and reliable statistical methods and creates uniformity among the new results that allow for easier and more accurate comparisons.

In this study, the subjects were children and adolescents, the intervention – or the event that may or may not have created change – was the COVID-19 pandemic, and the outcomes were symptoms of anxiety or depression, as expressed in the change in mean before and during COVID-119. Here’s how you can interpret the numbers we share below:

• Slight change: SMC of 0.2
• Small change: SMC of 0.6
• Moderate change: SMC of 1.2
• Large change: SMC of 2.0

Keep those figures in mind when we report the results below. Before we get to the data, though, let’s take a look at the key demographic features of the sample group.

Age of Participants:

• Depression studies: 13.5 years old
• Anxiety studies: 12.6 years old

Gender of Participants:

• Depression studies:
  • 54% female
  • 46% male
• Anxiety studies:
  • 52% female
  • 48% male

Type of Data:

• Self-reported symptoms: 87%
• Parent reported symptoms: 9%
• Parent and child/adolescent reported symptoms: 2%
• Unknown: 2%

Location of Studies:

• North America: 51%
• Europe: 24%
• Asia: 19%
• Australia: 4%
• Israel: 2%

Enough about the study: let’s take a look at those results.

Did Anxiety and Depression Symptoms Increase Among Children and Teens Because of COVID-19?

You may notice something in that heading.

The initial research question was simpler: did symptoms increase during COVID-19?

However, the comprehensive analysis used in this study allows researchers to answer the variation of the question that asks if they changed because of the pandemic, rather than simply asking if the prevalence of symptoms changed overall.

Here’s the data.

Depressive Symptoms Before and During COVID: Standard Mean Change (SMC)

• Overall change:
  • 26 SMC, with a range of 0.19 to 0.33 SMC
  • That’s a slight to small increase
• By gender:
  • Females: 0.32 SMC, with a range of 0.21 to 0.42
    • That’s a small increase
  • Males: 0.10 SMC, with a range of -0.02 to 0.22
    • That’s a slight to small increase
  • Difference: 0.22 SMC

Females showed larger increases in depressive symptoms than males.

• By age group:
  • Over age 12: 0.27, with a range of 0.19 to 0.34
  • Under age 12: 0.21, with a range of 0.03 to 0.39

Adolescents showed larger increases in depressive symptoms than younger children.

Anxiety Symptoms Before and During COVID: Standard Mean Change (SMC)

• Overall change:
  • 10 SMC
    • That’s very slight increase
  • By gender:
    • Females: 0.12 SMC, with a range of -0.03 to 0.27
      • That’s a slight to small increase
    • Males: 0.04 SMC, with a range of -0.12 to 0.21
      • That’s a slight to small increase
    • Difference: 0.22 SMC

Females showed larger increases in anxiety symptoms than males.

• By age group:
  • Over age 12: 0.16, with a range of -0.21 to 0.17
  • Under age 12: -0.02, with a range of -0.21 to 0.17

Adolescents showed larger increases in anxiety symptoms than younger children.

After controlling for variables such as time trends and other non-COVID factors that may result in increases, researchers concluded:

“Our comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis showed evidence of an increase in depression symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to prepandemic estimates. The magnitude of this increase was more than what could be expected based on time trends and can therefore likely be attributed to the disruptions, restrictions, and stress imposed on children and adolescents and their families during the pandemic.”

That’s what we’ve been waiting for since the pandemic began: an exhaustive statistical analysis on mental health metrics before and during COVID-19. What this data tells us is that increases in depressive symptoms were small, but statistically significant, and that increases in anxiety – among adolescents – slight, but also statistically significant. We should also note that for symptoms of depression and anxiety, researchers observed more substantial increases in females than in males. Finally, we should also report that rates of depressive symptoms increased in significantly Europe and North America, but less significantly in Asia, while symptoms of anxiety showed only slight increases in Europe, North America, and Asia.

Next, let’s talk about how we can support the mental health of our children and teens.

The Surgeon General’s Advice on How to Support Youth Mental Health

In December 2021, the Surgeon General of the United States issued an advisory on child and teen mental health called Protecting Youth Mental Health. In that advisory, he cited data that showed startling increases in the rates of child and teen suicide and child and teen mental health disorders between 2007 and 2019. Rates of suicide during that period increased by 57 percent, and rates of high school students considering suicide increased by 36 percent. In addition, the rates of high school students feeling sad or hopeless increased by 40 percent, and mental health-related visits to the emergency room for children and teens increased by 28 percent.

That report also contained helpful information on how healthcare organizations and health professionals can support youth and teen mental health, in the form of the five action steps, which we list below.

For Health Professionals: Five Steps to Support Youth Mental Health

1. Recognize that prevention is the best treatment. Health professionals can implement trauma-informed prevention strategies and practices for all youth and teens, especially those with a history of trauma or adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).
2. Screen for mental health disorders in youth on a regular basis. This includes screening in primary care settings, at school, and in emergency departments, among others. Mental health screening should include screening for ACEs and occur during typical checkups, well-visits, and during routine vaccinations.
3. Identify and support the mental health needs of parents and caregivers. It’s critical to address the entire support system surrounding youth. Identifying homes that are physically and emotionally unsafe – and offering support to remediate existing issues – is essential to overall youth mental health and wellbeing.
4. Increase communication across life domains. Teachers, primary care providers, school counselors, parents, and sports coaches can all communicate with mental health providers to identify and address mental health issues in youth as soon as they arise – and offer support when needed sooner, rather than later.
5. Create multidisciplinary, culturally competent treatment teams. These teams should recruit youth and their families to engage and participate in all stages of mental health support, from screening and evaluation through treatment and discharge. Healthcare professionals should focus on cultural competency and offer all information in ways that respect the home culture of the family, and whenever possible, in the native language of the primary decision-makers in the family unit.

We’re on board with all five of these action steps. We should point out that parents who think their child or teen needs professional support should arrange a full evaluation from a mental health professional as soon as possible: evidence shows that the earlier a person with a mental health disorder receives evidence-based treatment, the better the outcome.

The post Mental Health Awareness Month: Did Anxiety and Depression Increase in Children and Teens During COVID-19 appeared first on Pinnacle Treatment Centers.

This type of positive public exposure is necessary. It addresses a persistent problem: LGBTQ youth and young adults face an elevated level of risk for depression, alcohol and substance use disorders, and other mental health disorders. One study found young adults who identify as LGBTQ have significantly higher rates of major depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), suicide attempts, and other mental disorders, when compared to national samples.

Discrimination based on sexual orientation correlates with lower life satisfaction, issues with mental and physical health, and a high incidence of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. Data suggests that one-third of people who identify as lesbian or gay attempt suicide at some point in their lives, a number much higher than the general population.

Positive public attention can help. It’s important to realize, though, that, while campaigns to raise awareness about bullying LGBTQ teens are often successful, bullying includes many behaviors. These may involve simple teasing and name-calling, to more extreme behaviors such as harassment and assault, bullying takes Some bullying experiences fade in memory, while others cause trauma — and that can have lasting effects. This can include PTSD symptoms and other negative outcomes that extend well into adulthood.

Alcohol and Substance Use Disorder in LGBTQ Adults

Early trauma is widely recognized as a contributing factor to alcohol and substance use disorder and the need of treatment later in life. Early trauma includes bullying and discrimination experienced by LGBTQ adolescents based on sexual orientation.

The 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey shows that, over the course of a school year:

• 23% of LGBTQ youth report being bullied at school
• 27% report being bullied online – i.e. cyberbullying
• 14% of LGBTQ youth report not going to school for safety concerns

This survey becomes more relevant in light of the following data from the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, The Substance Abuse and Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) published this report every year. This data from 2015 confirms the idea that trauma experienced LGBTQ adolescents by adolescents increases risk of AUD or SUD later in life. Experiencing early trauma increases the need for professional treatment.

LGBTQIA+ Adults and AUD/SUD 

• Adults who identify as lesbian or gay:
  • Twice as likely to have an alcohol use disorder than those who identify as heterosexual
• Adults who identify as bisexual:
  • Three times as likely to have a substance use disorder as those who identify as heterosexual
• Adults who are unclear about their sexual identity:
  • Five times more likely to have a substance use disorder than people who identify as heterosexual

When we connect the dots between these two data sets, we learn something important. Members of the LGBTQ population who report experiencing bullying as adolescents often report developing alcohol and/or substance use disorders – and may need treatment – as adults. Early trauma associated with bullying, discrimination, and a general lack of support and understanding by families, peers, and society at large plays a significant role in this phenomenon. We’ll repeat this because it’s important. LGBTQ people who report experiencing bullying as adolescents needed support as teens, and likely need targeted treatment and support as adults.

Seeking Treatment for LGBTQ Adolescents

It’s important to bear in mind that intense victimization during the teenage years can manifest in symptoms that can persist for years or even decades. Bullying may fade from the mind or memories of some bullying victims. It may seem less serious as the years pass. However, people who identify as LGBTQ experience an elevated level of targeting and bullying that can cause real harm.

This type of targeted, anti-LGBTQ bullying may include persistent harassment or even assault.

If the targeting behavior persists over years, it may take professional support to heal and move forward. Trauma during the teen years correlates with negative mental and physical health effects. These effects can manifest years later. Higher rates of depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders are also common in LGBTQIA+ adults report experiencing targeted bullying as teenagers.

The bottom line here is simple. People who identify as LGBTQIA+ who were bullied during their adolescent years are at increased risk of the need for AUD or SUD treatment later in life. Professional support, community, compassion, treatment, and care make a real and lasting difference. Therapeutic intervention for feelings of alienation and loneliness can have positive effects at any age. Support in the face of bullying helps. It helps teens and young adults devise positive coping skills and strategies. These techniques help them deal with trauma and stress. Treatment also helps LGBTQIA+ adults with alcohol and/or substance use problems. When they understand how their teen experiences affect them as adult, things change. This understanding forms an important piece of the treatment puzzle. In most cases, it helps them make significant strides on their recovery journey.

The post Addiction Treatment for LGBTQ Adolescents & Adults appeared first on Pinnacle Treatment Centers.

Adolescent Early Intervention

Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) For Adolescents

Continuing Care Groups for Adolescents

That’s why everyone on our clinical staff – and our top executives as well – stay current on the latest facts, figures, and trends in alcohol and substance use disorder among adolescents. We read peer reviewed journal articles and publications from reliable sources like the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). We recently posted this article on the blog section of our website about the relationship between adolescent drinking and adult alcohol use disorder:

Research Report: Adolescent Drinking and Adult Alcohol Use Disorder

In that article, we discuss the connection between teen drinking and excess/disordered drinking during adulthood. We learned that drinking among adolescents increased between 2019 and 2020. We also learned that solitary drinking at age 18 and at ages 24/25 predicted negative outcomes at age 35. Here are the facts:

• Alcohol use frequency at age 18 predicted AUD symptom likelihood at age 35:
  • Higher frequency predicted higher frequency of AUD symptoms
• Among solitary adolescent drinkers:
  • 8% were classified as having AUD symptoms at age 35
• Binge drinking frequency at age 18 did not predict AUD symptom likelihood at age 35
• Alcohol use frequency at age 23/24 predicted AUD symptom likelihood at age 35
  • Higher frequency predicted higher frequency of AUD symptoms
• Binge drinking frequency at age 23/24 predicted AUD symptom likelihood at age 35:
  • Higher frequency predicted higher frequency of AUD symptoms

In this article, we’ll follow up on that information with a new set of data published in March 2023 in the 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (2023 YRBS).

The 2023 YRBS: A Focus on Trends in Adolescent Alcohol and Substance Use

The CDC publishes the YRBS every two years and collects it through the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS). This system tracks six categories of behavior related to health risk, up to and including death, among adolescents and young adults. Here’s what the system tracks:

• Behaviors that may result in injury
• Behaviors related to violence
• Sexual behavior
• Alcohol use
• Substance use
• Tobacco use
• Unhealthy dietary behaviors
• Inadequate physical activity

The system was designed to help policymakers, medical professionals, mental health professionals, educators, and regular citizens understand the current state of safety among adolescents in the U.S. We use it to understand alcohol and drug use among adolescents in order to tailor our treatment programs and implement them where they’re needed most.

Researchers conduct surveys for the YRBS every other year, most often in the spring. A national survey conducted by the CDC provides data for 9th through 12th grade students in public and private schools across the country. In the past, the research team has collected data for the National Alternative High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey National (9,000 students in 1998) and the College Health Risk Behavior Survey (5,000 students in 1995).

In 2021, the source year for the 2023 YRBS, the research team collected data from over 13,000 high school students around the country. The 2023 YRBS publication also included something most YRBS surveys don’t: a ten-year analysis of trends in the survey areas. When data for the full ten years was unavailable, they included as much data as possible. We’ll focus on the data that’s most relevant to us in our work in treatment for alcohol and substance use disorder.

Let’s take a look at the survey.

Trends in Adolescent Alcohol and Substance Use, 2011-2021

We’ll begin this section with words from the report itself, which explain why the following facts and figures matter:

“Adolescent substance use is associated with sexual risk behavior, experiencing violence, and mental health problems.”

We’ll add – based on the information in the article we mention above – that adolescent alcohol use is associated with adult alcohol use disorder, and adolescent drug use is associated with increased rates of adult substance use disorder.

For the 2023 YRBS, we’ll share data on:

• Current alcohol use
  • Defined as having used alcohol within the past 30 days
• Current marijuana use
  • Defined as having used marijuana within the past 30 days
• Current electronic vape products
  • Defined as having used an electronic vape product within the past 30 days
• Lifetime illicit drug use
  • Defined as having ever used any illicit drug
• Lifetime and current prescription opioid misuse
  • Defined as either having ever misused a prescription opioid or having misused a prescription opioid in the past month

Let’s get right to the data.

2023 YRBS Results: Adolescent Alcohol and Substance Use

Current Alcohol Use

• By Year:
  • 2011: 39%
  • 2013: 35%
  • 2015: 33%
  • 2017: 30%
  • 2019: 29%
  • 2021: 23%
• By Sex:
  • Total: 23%
  • Male: 19%
  • Female: 27%
• By race/ethnicity:
  • American Indian or Alaska Native: 32%
  • Asian: 11%
  • Black: 13%
  • Hispanic: 23%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 22%
  • White: 26%
  • Multiracial: 24%
• By Sexual identity:
  • LGBQ*: 26%
  • Heterosexual: 22%

*The survey did not ask about trans identity, but only lesbian, gay, bisexual, and questioning identities*

This data tells us relatively good news: the prevalence of current alcohol use among teens has decreased by 41 percent over the ten years analyzed. That news is only relatively good because a. underage drinking is illegal, and b. 23 percent of teens in the U.S. – based on a general estimate of 25 million people aged 13-18 – works out to close to 6 million teens. Therefore, although rates of drinking have declined, underage drinking is still a significant cause for concern for people in the U.S. concerned about the overall health and welfare of the adolescent population.

Current Marijuana Use

• By Year:
  • 2011: 23%
  • 2013: 23%
  • 2015: 22%
  • 2017: 20%
  • 2019: 22%
  • 2021: 16%
• By Sex:
  • Total: 16%
  • Male: 14%
  • Female: 18%
• By race/ethnicity:
  • American Indian or Alaska Native: 18%
  • Asian: 5%
  • Black: 20%
  • Hispanic: 17%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 16%
  • White: 15%
  • Multiracial: 20%
• By Sexual identity:
  • LGBQ: 22%
  • Heterosexual: 14%

Again, this is a mixed bag. A decline of 30 percent between 2011 and 2021 is a positive development. However – and we’ll repeat what we say above – marijuana use is illegal for all teenagers in the U.S. It’s true that many states have legalized the recreational use of marijuana, but the legal age for recreational use is 21. That means that every teen in this survey – unless they had a medical marijuana card – engaged in illegal activity, and increased their risk of developing a substance use disorder as an adult. When we do the math, 16 percent of teens in the U.S. works out to around 4 million teens.

Current Vape Use

• By Year:
  • 2011: n/a
  • 2013: n/a
  • 2015: 24%
  • 2017: 13%
  • 2019: 33%
  • 2021: 18%
• By Sex:
  • Total: 18%
  • Male: 15%
  • Female: 21%
• By race/ethnicity:
  • American Indian or Alaska Native: 23%
  • Asian: 6%
  • Black: 14%
  • Hispanic: 18%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 25%
  • White: 20%
  • Multiracial: 17%
• By Sexual identity:
  • LGBQ: 22%
  • Heterosexual: 16%

These figures – like those above – give us reason for optimism and are also cause for concern. The decrease in vaping from 2014 to 2018 is a positive development. We’d also like to point out the power of regulation: in 2019, a third of teens reported vaping. After the FDA cracked down on the practice of selling flavored vape products geared toward teens, that number decreased by 45 percent. With that said, 18 percent of teens in the U.S. works out to about 4.5 million, which means millions of teens report current use of vape products, a number that’s far too large.

Lifetime Illicit Drug Use

• By Year:
  • 2011: 19%
  • 2013: 16%
  • 2015: 13%
  • 2017: 13%
  • 2019: 13%
  • 2021: 13%
• By Sex:
  • Total: 13%
  • Male: 12%
  • Female: 15%
• By race/ethnicity:
  • American Indian or Alaska Native: 20%
  • Asian: 7%
  • Black: 9%
  • Hispanic: 14%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: n/a
  • White: 14%
  • Multiracial: 18%
• By Sexual identity:
  • LGBQ: 21%
  • Heterosexual: 11%

The drugs considered illicit in this survey – aside from marijuana and opioids – included drugs like cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, inhalants, hallucinogens, and ecstasy. Although rates of illicit drug use decreased between 2011 and 2021, it’s important to note that many of these drugs – cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and ecstasy, for instance – are now at high risk of containing fentanyl. That means that close to 3 million adolescents report potential exposure to a drug that can kill in one dose: that’s legitimate cause for concern.

Lifetime/Current Prescription Opioid Misuse

• Lifetime, by Year:
  • 2011: n/a
  • 2013: n/a
  • 2015: n/a
  • 2017: 14%
  • 2019: 14%
  • 2021: 12%
• Current use, by year*:
  • 2019: 7%
  • 2021: 6%

*The survey began asking about current prescription opioid misuse in 2019*

• By Sex (Lifetime):
  • Total: 12%
  • Male: 10%
  • Female: 15%
• By race/ethnicity (Lifetime):
  • American Indian or Alaska Native: 15%
  • Asian: 11%
  • Black: 14%
  • Hispanic: 14%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 12%
  • White: 11%
  • Multiracial: 12%
• By Sexual identity (Lifetime):
  • LGBQ: 20%
  • Heterosexual: 9%

We’ll point out two things in this data set: the small decreases in lifetime use and current use. Those are important, when we understand the big picture. The big picture here is that prescription opioid misuse can escalate quickly to illicit opioid misuse. Illicit opioid misuse – when we think of adolescent alcohol and substance use in general – is among the most dangerous and risky behaviors possible.

Why?

The presence of fentanyl in the supply of illicit opioids. The Drug Enforcement Agency released a public service announcement called “Fentanyl: One Pill Can Kill” that indicates 60 percent of illicit pills designed to look like prescription medication contain “potentially lethal doses of fentanyl.” We understand that phrases like one pill can kill sound like archaic scare-tactic soundbites, but in this case, the DEA is not exaggerating at all: fentanyl is deadly, and one pill can kill. That’s why any misuse of prescription opioids by adolescents is incredibly dangerous: it can be the first step on a path that can lead to accidental overdose and death.

How We Can Help Our Adolescents Thrive

The editors of the YRBS indicate two primary protective factors that can help adolescents thrive on mental, physical, psychological, and emotional levels: feeling connected to peers and teachers at school and parental monitoring. Thriving for adolescents – by our definition – includes not engaging in alcohol or drug use, which statistics show millions of teens do engage in currently.

To foster connectedness at school – and decrease alcohol and drug use – we can all work together to do the following:

• Improve education around addiction and addiction treatment
• Increase awareness of the negative consequences of alcohol and drug use
• Increase mental health support in schools
• Train key school staff to provide direct mental health support
• Connect students and families to social support resources for mental health and addiction
• Train key staff to help students and families connect to social support resources for mental health and addiction
• Improve general health education, and ensure health classes are grounded in science, developmentally appropriate, and culturally sensitive

Those are solid suggestions that are well within the reach of our schools, school administrators, and teachers: we can all start on these suggestions today.

With regards to parental monitoring, we encourage all parents to know what, where, and who at all times:

What teens are doing, where they are, and who they’re with.

With that said, we encourage parents to resist the impulse to micromanage their teens 24/7/365. Anyone who’s been a teen – meaning all of us – know that this is close to impossible, and creates conflict for everyone involved. Instead, knowing those three things can help a parent pinpoint any problems – and fix them – sooner, rather than later. For every parent, there’s an important balance to strike between safety and freedom. Our teens need freedom to learn and grow, but need the safety adults provide. Finding that balance is different for every teen and every family. It may be a challenge, but it’s worth the effort. When a family finds that balance, everyone thrives.

The post The 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey: Adolescent Alcohol and Substance Use  appeared first on Pinnacle Treatment Centers.

Older Women Face Unique Health Concerns

For older women, fertility is no longer a concern. But there is evidence of a host of unique concerns, including an elevated risk of some cancers and even premature death. Excessive drinking carries with it an increased risk of liver disease – and that risk is higher for women than for men. The data also shows that alcohol use may result in memory loss and shrinkage of the brain. Here again, the risk is more pronounced for women than for men, with more severe damage observed in women, and with adverse effects appearing after shorter periods of heavy drinking than was observed in men.

These risks are cause for concern.

Yet, despite the data, a recent study revealed that among women aged 50-70, alcohol use is actually on the rise.

Social and Cultural Factors

If more older women are drinking in excess of the amount that medical guidelines recommend, why might this be the case?

Social and cultural factors are at play.

While each individual is different, humans are influenced by the behavior, habits, and attitudes of their peers. The data reflects that cultural attitudes toward alcohol use by women have changed in recent decades, and continue to evolve. Historically, in many cultures, alcohol use by women was stigmatized. In the United States, for example, the temperance movement was started by women, and frequenting saloons or bars was seen as behavior appropriate for men rather than women.

But increasingly, popular culture and social media influence our social and cultural mores. Posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram make light of drinking among women. “Mommy needs Wine” memes abound. In comedy, film and television, depictions of alcohol use and even binge-drinking as comical and normal have doubtless contributed to the increasing social acceptance of excess alcohol use by women, including older women.

The Data on Drinking

It may also be that information regarding the health risks of excess drinking is not readily available. Many doctors don’t inquire about exact levels of alcohol consumption in the course of a regular physical. Absent major red flags, such as driving while intoxicated, drinking above recommended levels requires self-reporting. Many patients may not know that they consume more than the recommended amount. They may consider themselves as social drinkers who occasionally have a few too many, without major consequences or cause for concern.

A recent study led by Dr. Julie Dare examined this trend among middle-aged and young-old women around the world. Dr. Dare and her researchers found that accurate information about the health risks of alcohol consumption was lacking as a factor in guiding the choices these women made around alcohol use. Instead, women seemed guided largely by the cultural acceptability around alcohol consumption. Many women describe drinking as part of the norm and something to do with family and friends. Concerns about excessive drinking revolve around perceived loss of control. As long as women don’t make a fool of themselves or go falling down and showing their knickers, peers and family considered excess drinking an acceptable behavior. Compared to the behavioral expectations around men and drinking, this is clearly an outdated double-standard.

Study authors also noted that drinking among younger women is starting to decline. However, the percentage of women over the age of 60 who regular drink in excess of current health recommendations continues to increase.

Stigma, Shame, and Seeking Help

Some perceive the lack of stigma around women’s consumption of alcohol as positive, since stigma can lead to shame. Shame can be a barrier that prevents people from seeking help for alcohol or substance use disorders, and is therefore counterproductive in terms of changing behavior.

Yet the data seem to indicate that older women are putting their health and well-being at risk, and may experience increased social and healthcare costs down the line.

So: what do we do with this information?

One simple answer is to share it. We can use our knowledge to raise awareness of the risks of excessive consumption. We can offer help and support to friends or loved ones who may be at-risk. In addition, we can educate everyone – not just older women – about the benefits of cutting back and reducing consumption. We can also encourage all people, when appropriate, to abstain from  consuming alcohol altogether.

The post The Normalization of Excess Alcohol Use Among Older Women appeared first on Pinnacle Treatment Centers.

We need to start this piece out by defining what Dry January is not.

Dry January is not an independent, at-home detox program or method for heavy, chronic drinkers, people who know they drink excessively and already experience significant health problems from excess drinking, or people who meet the clinical criteria for alcohol use disorder (AUD) as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Volume 5 (DSM-5).

That answers the question in the title of this article: yes, there are risks to going dry on your own. If you’re in any of those categories, we strongly encourage you to talk to a qualified physician before you stop drinking. They can inform you of the potential dangers of alcohol withdrawal and connect you to the resources appropriate for you, your personal history, and your immediate medical needs.

You can also learn about AUD and how it’s diagnosed by visiting our page on treatment for AUD:

Alcohol Use Disorders

With all of that out of the way, let’s talk about Dry January.

How Dry January Started

Dry January began in 2013 in the United Kingdom. It was the brainchild of a group called Alcohol Change UK as a way to encourage people to adopt a new point of view on alcohol and alcohol consumption in their daily lives.

Here’s how the people who started the movement describe Dry January:

“The aim of our campaign is to start a new conversation about alcohol, to encourage people to consider and discuss their alcohol consumption and ultimately, to inspire behavior change following a positive and fun-filled month of sobriety.”

It’s a common-sense, logical approach to rethinking alcohol use. Dry January is not just for people in the U.K. It’s for anyone, anywhere, who’s interested in reevaluating their alcohol use.

Because let’s be honest: alcohol is everywhere in our culture. We may not realize it unless we take a moment to think about it, but it’s true. From family gatherings on holidays – Winter Holidays, 4^th of July, you name it – to sporting events, work socials, and everything in between, organizers of these events often place alcohol front and center. And people who attend these events understand that consuming alcohol is the norm.

Not necessarily getting drunk, but having a little more than usual is – again, let’s be honest – virtually encouraged in these social contexts.

We’re here to offer a counterproposal.

How about questioning those expectations?

How about not making alcohol the center of social functions or family gatherings?

And how about giving it a shot for 31 days in the month of January?

Let’s take a look at the benefits of trying out Dry January in 2023.

The Benefits of Not Drinking Alcohol for a Month

No hangovers!

Seriously, though.

We’ll start with the well-known benefits of ceasing or cutting back alcohol consumption, move to benefits many people may not immediately think of, then finish with data from a study on Dry January conducted and published in 2014 by the University of Sussex in the U.K.

Here are several of the basic benefits of cutting back or stopping alcohol consumption for a month:

• Improved sleep
• Increased energy
• Weight loss
• Financial savings
• Improved look of hair
• Improved look of skin

Now for the benefits that may not be obvious. These are related to the time of year – winter – Dry January happens:

• It’s cold and flu season, and alcohol does not help recovery from those ailments: it disturbs sleep, reduces immune function, and delays recovery.
• Alcohol may interact negatively with both prescription and over-the-counter cold or flu medication
• Alcohol consumption in men is associated with high blood pressure and other cardiovascular problems
• Consuming alcohol is associated with anxiety and low mood/depressive mood

Finally, let’s look at the evidence – and some statistics – that confirm many of the points about cutting back or stopping alcohol consumption we mention above.

Research on Dry January

In 2018, a study conducted at the University of Sussex in Brighton, UK, followed 800 participants in Dry January. We’ll lead with an interesting outcome: people who cut back in January were still drinking less in August.

That’s a great result, because Dry January really isn’t just about January. It’s about rethinking drinking altogether.

Here’s more data from the study, specifically on rates of consumption:

• Average days drinking decreased from 4.3 days per week to 3.3 days per week
• Average units of alcohol per drinking day decreased from 8.6 to 7.1
  • There’s one unit of alcohol in one 25ml shot of liquor, or just under one fluid ounce of liquor
  • A pint of typical strength beer – around 16 fluid ounces – contains about 2 units of alcohol
  • A typical 175ml glass of wine – about 6 fluid ounces – contains just over 2 units of alcohol
• Frequency of drinking until drunk decreased from 3.4 times per month to 2.1 times per month

Keep in mind that this study gathered data from 800 participants in August of 2018, eight months after participating in Dry January. In addition, not all participants stayed completely sober during that January, but they did cut back considerably.

Here’s the rest of the data, some of which puts figures to the benefits we mentioned above.

Benefits of a Dry January, In Numbers

• 93% reported a sense of achievement
• 88% said they saved money
• 82% said they seriously thought about their drinking habits
• 80% reported an increased sense of control over their drinking
• 76% discovered important facts about when and why they drink
• 71% said they finally realized they don’t need to drink to enjoy themselves in social situations
• 70% reported better overall health
• 71% said their sleep improves
• 67% reported increased energy levels
• 58% said they lost weight
• 57% reported improvement in concentration
• 54% said their skin quality improved

Those are all excellent reasons to give Dry January a try. One thing about Dry January we like, as opposed to a New Year’s Resolution, for instance, is the relatively short duration. Committing to something for a full year can be intimidating and scare people off.

One month?

Not so scary.

To Try Going Dry or Not in January 2023

First of all, please take the huge, bold disclaimer at the beginning of this article seriously. If you’re a long-time, heavy, daily drinker, going totally dry on your own can lead to serious health complications, up to and including death. If you don’t believe us, check with your doctor, or read this article published by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAA):

Complications of Alcohol Withdrawal

We’re not exaggerating the dangers: please check our work to learn firsthand what we mean.

We’ll end this article on a more positive note, with the words of Dr. Richard Piper, the CEO of Alcohol Change U.K.:

“Put simply, Dry January can change lives. We hear every day from people who took charge of their drinking using Dry January, and who feel healthier and happier as a result. Being alcohol-free for 31 days shows us that we don’t need alcohol to have fun, to relax, to socialize. Dry January helps millions to experience those benefits and to make a longer-lasting change.”

Getting Help

If you or someone you love drinks excessively and you’re concerned, please contact us today. We know how to support you with the safe, evidence-based methods to reduce or completely stop drinking alcohol.

The post What is Dry January – And Are There Any Risks? appeared first on Pinnacle Treatment Centers.

Read The Full Article

The post Building for Treatment and Care appeared first on Pinnacle Treatment Centers.

Each person becomes who they are in context. Everyone is part of a group of people who have a direct impact on their development. The behavior and actions of any member of the group affects the entire group. In turn, the shared norms of the group affect the behavior and actions of any individual member.

This is the fundamental logic behind Family Systems Theory, on which virtually all family involvement in addiction treatment is based, regardless of the treatment center or the level of care at which an individual participates.

Here’s a slightly different way of putting it:

1. Each individual is part of a web of human relationships, which we call a family.
2. Family dynamics have a foundational impact on individual development.
3. Therefore, behaviors an individual develops are influenced by the family unit in which the individual grew up.

When we say family, we don’t necessarily mean the classic American nuclear family from the 1950s. The syllogism above applies to everyone, whether they grew up in a traditional household, a non-traditional household, in a state-run children’s home, or in foster care: each and every one of us developed as part of a group of people who had a direct impact on who we became. In addiction treatment, we call that group, for lack of a better term, the family. The impact may have been positive, it may have been negative, or it may have been somewhere in between.

Whatever the case, there’s no getting around it: the people surrounding us when we grew up – and the people surrounding us now – have a direct effect on who we are and how we think, feel, and behave.

Unless you were raised by wolves and now live as a hermit on a mountainside, this means you.

The Importance of Family Engagement

The concept that families are a critical piece of addiction treatment is based on decades of research and clinical data. It also makes perfect sense. Since no one lives in a vacuum, no aspect of their behavior develops in a vacuum, either.

To change – really change – a core behavior such as a substance use disorder or addiction, the context in which the user or addict lives needs to transform in such a way as to support forward growth. Families who participate in treatment have a better understanding of what their loved one is going through. They also begin to understand the role they may or may not have played in enabling or facilitating the addictive behavior.

When a family gets it, meaning they get that not only their loved one needs to make changes, but they probably need to make some changes, too, then the person in treatment has a much better chance at long-term recovery.

Evidence shows that when families are involved in the treatment process:

• Substance use decreases
• Relapse rates decrease
• Time in treatment increases
• Symptoms of co-occurring emotional issues such as depression and anxiety decrease
• Family relationships improve
• Family discord decreases

These are all things that everyone involved in the recovery process wants. That’s why, when it comes to treatment, family engagement is essential.

Family Involvement: You Choose, Your Choice

Most treatment centers involve the family to the extent the patient wants them involved. In some cases, unfortunately, there may be too much water under the bridge, and the participation of blood relatives is neither necessary nor helpful.

That’s why family engagement doesn’t have to mean parents, children, or siblings. It mean friends, significant others, coworkers, neighbors, bosses, or anyone involved enough in the life of the individual in treatment to know what’s going on and be in a position to offer positive input and make a difference.

If you’re in residential treatment, in particular, it’s crucial for your success that at least a few of the people in your life know what you’re going through, because they can support you when you return to life out in the world.

And if a family member or loved one is in treatment, it’s crucial for you to show up if asked. You can be an important piece of the treatment puzzle, and help your friend, sibling, child, or parent make the changes they need for sustainable, long-term recovery.

The post Why Family Engagement in Addiction Treatment Matters appeared first on Pinnacle Treatment Centers.

I am also, and more importantly, a recovering alcoholic and drug addict.

I moved to New Hampshire to live with my parents in September 2009, a time when I was lost, tired and just plain broken.

I was 23 years old and had nothing except a trash bag of belongings, two DUIs and a trail of suffering behind me. I was living in New Durham on Merrymeeting Lake, with no license, no friends and nothing to do.

Read Full Story

The post My Turn: Northern Pass and the land that gave me sobriety appeared first on Pinnacle Treatment Centers.

We know that once people are sober for about a year, their chances of maintaining a healthy lifestyle are enhanced. This is directly tied to a program that treats individuals (and their families) from the inside out.

Substance use disorder and addiction is central to our national conversation. More people are dying from addiction that any other cause. The disease has invaded communities across America. While the reasons are numerous; the solution is simple. Get into treatment.

We are pleased that our nation’s leaders, such as House Speaker Paul Ryan, New Jersey Governor Christie, Pennsylvania Governor Wolf and Ohio Governor Kasich are all engaged in treatment options and availability. Pinnacle Leadership meets regularly with public policy leadership to ensure that our voice is heard, that access to coverage is seamless and that health insurance and Medicaid is available.

“I have been at the forefront of curtailing substance use disorder and locating solutions for those that suffer — for nearly 40 years. What I know is that the solution is a combination of efforts between treatment providers, law enforcement, leadership and communities. We will not let up until people are healthy,” Joe Pritchard, CEO of Pinnacle Treatment Network, said.

Please call us or visit 1–800–782–1520 or www.pinnacletreatment.com.

The post CEO Joe Pritchard Meets with Speaker Ryan appeared first on Pinnacle Treatment Centers.

And now, McGlashan detailed his addiction to fans via an article he linked to on Twitter. He revealed his substance abuse was even worse than what “Deadliest Catch” showed.

The post ‘Deadliest Catch’ star Nick MgClashan says he was a ‘full blown junkie’ addicted to heroin, meth appeared first on Pinnacle Treatment Centers.