In the past decade, more and more people have struggled with mental health issues, including depression and thoughts of suicide. Some people struggle with this when recovering from alcohol and substance abuse, as it alters their behavioral and mental health. In a report done by the Behavioral Health Barometer United States, Volume 5, that was prepared for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, statistics were provided regarding mental health issues in U.S. youth and adult citizens.
All ages can struggle with their mental health and in turn this can affect everything in one’s life. Among youth aged 12-17 in the U.S. in 2017, 13.3% (3.2 million) had at least one major depressive episode in the past year. A large percental of the youth demographic sought recovery help with 41.5% (1.3 million) receiving depression care in the past year. Among young adults aged 18-25 in the U.S. in 2017, 10.5% (3.5 million) had serious thoughts of suicide in the past year and 7.5% (2.5 million) had a serious mental illness (SMI) in the past year. Lastly, among adults aged 18 or older in the U.S. in 2017, 4.3% (10.6 million) had serious thoughts of suicide in the past year. Suicide rates have only increased in recent years causing more people to seek to raise awareness surrounding mental health issues and erase the stigma that seeking help is weak and unacceptable.
Many people do not always perceive themselves as having a mental health issue and therefore do not seek help, which can be problematic. TRACKtech.LLC is committed to helping change the behavioral and mental health of program members in the hopes of helping them recover. With access to behavioral health resources and programs, the TRACKphone can provide daily reinforcement and positive messages, calendar reminders for appointments and meetings, and a constant support system if needed. Mental health is an important issue effecting millions of Americans and it’s important to continue to provide supportive systems that encourage people to seek help.