2020 is behind us but we have a long road ahead.

Did you know?

1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year
1 in 25 U.S. adults experience serious mental illness each year
1 in 6 U.S. youth aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year
50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% by age 24
Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among people aged 10-34 

Source: NAMI

According to NIMH, research shows that only half of those with mental illness receive care each year.

These numbers are BEFORE the pandemic.

According to the CDC, during June 2020 amidst COVID-19, 40% of U.S. adults reported struggling with mental health or substance use.

A new CDC report finds that children’s visits to emergency departments for mental health concerns have been higher than usual this year, possibly due to the Covid-19 pandemic.  The proportion of such visits was up 24% among those ages 5-11 and 31% among adolescents aged 12-17, compared to the same period last year.

A new study also shows 20% of Covid-19 patients developed mental illness within 90 Days.

The call to action to get help for mental illnesses is greater now than ever before. The effects of this pandemic are far reaching, and we are seeing it in actual data and proof.

Take care of your mental health

You may experience increased stress during this pandemic as well as your children. Fear and anxiety can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions. Get the right help for you and your family.

Mental health is an important part of overall health and wellness. It affects how we think, feel, and act. Mental health plays a big role in how we handle stress, relationships and emergencies.

People with pre-existing mental health conditions or substance use disorders may be particularly vulnerable in an emergency or pandemic.  Mental health conditions (such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia) affect a person’s thinking, feeling, mood or behavior in a way that affect how to function each day. These conditions may be situational (short-term) or long-lasting (chronic).

Everyone reacts differently to stressful situations. How you respond to stress during the COVID-19 pandemic can depend on your background, your social support from family or friends, your financial situation, your health and emotional background, the community you live in, and many other factors. The changes that can happen because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ways we try to contain the spread of the virus can affect anyone. Taking care of your family is important, but it should be balanced with care for yourself.

If you think you have new mental health conditions or worse symptoms, get help today.

Please see a list of helpful resources below for you and your family. We’re all in this together. #HOPEisHere

RESOURCES

For Everyone

• How Right Now
• Coping with a Disaster or Traumatic Event
• HHS ASPR TRACIE COVID-19 Behavioral Health Resources
• Coronavirus Tax Relief and Economic Impact Payments

For Communities

• Coping with Stress During an Infectious Disease Outbreak
• Taking Care of Your Behavioral Health during an Infectious Disease Outbreak

For Families and Children

• Helping Children Cope during an COVID-19 Outbreak
• Helping Children Cope with Emergencies
• Coping After a Disaster – A Ready Wrigley activity book for children age 3-10
• Teen Depression

For People at Higher Risk for Serious Illness

• Serious Illness Care Program COVID-19 Response Toolkit

For Healthcare Workers and First Responders

• Healthcare Personnel and First Responders: How to Cope with Stress and Build Resilience During the COVID-19 Pandemic
• Emergency Responders: Tips for Taking Care of Yourself
• Disaster Technical Assistance Center (SAMHSA)

For Other Workers

• Employees: How to Cope with Job Stress and Build Resilience During the COVID-19 Pandemic

For Veterans / Military 

• https://journeypure.com/locations/military-program/

Selected Resources for Coping with Loss

• Tips for Survivors: Coping with Grief After a Disaster or Traumatic Event
• Tips for Health Care Practitioners and Responders:  Helping survivors cope with grief after a disaster or traumatic event
• Center for Complicated Grief
• Center for Grief Recovery and Therapeutic Services

Selected Resources for Children and Parents

• Helping Children Cope with Emergencies
• Talking with children about Coronavirus Disease 2019
• Caring for Children in a Disaster
• After a Loved One Dies:  How Children Grieve
• Childhood Traumatic Grief:  Information for Parents and Caregivers
• Sesame Street Grief Resources

How to Get Help

Get immediate help in a crisis

• Call 911
• Disaster Distress Helpline: CALL or TEXT 1-800-985-5990 (press 2 for Spanish).
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for English, 1-888-628-9454 for Spanish, or Lifeline Crisis Chat
• National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 or text LOVEIS to 22522
• National Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-4AChild (1-800-422-4453) or text 1-800-422-4453
• National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or Online Chat 
• The Eldercare Locatoe: 1-800-677-1116  TTY Instructions
• Veteran’s Crisis Line: 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or Crisis Chat or text: 8388255
• Georgia Crisis & Access Line: 1-800-715-4225
• Crisis text line: 741-741

Find a health care provider or treatment for substance use disorder and mental health

• SAMHSA’s National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357) and TTY 1-800-487-4889
• Treatment Services Locator Website
• Interactive Map of Selected Federally Qualified Health Centers

Suicide

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for English, 1-888-628-9454 for Spanish, or Lifeline Crisis Chat.
• SAMHSA Suicide Prevention
• Suicide Risk Factors and Warning Signs
• Five Action Steps for Communicating with Someone Who May Be Suicidal

Georgia HOPE Contact Information 

• Hours Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
• Call: (706) 279-0405 
• Email: info@GaHOPE.org
• Text:  706-847-4871
• Fax: (706) 279-4190
• Mental Health, Substance Use, Recovery Inquiries- (706) 279-0405 Ext. 149
• DFCS Contact Phone Phone: 706-279-0405 Ext. 226