Minding your mental health this May

Millions of Americans live with mental illness. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one in five adults in the United States experience some form of mental illness. For one in 20, that illness is considered “severe.”

Anxiety is the most dominant form of mental illness affecting the country.

Now, more than 2.5 years into the pandemic, researchers are finding the reports of mental illness have risen. According to a report by Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), almost 34% of Washington residents reported experiencing recent symptoms of anxiety or depression between September and October of 2021. Before the pandemic, the percentage of Washingtonians with any reported mental illness was 23.5%.

An unfortunate side effect of untreated treated mental health is substance abuse. In September 2020, more than 15% of adults reported a new or increased use of substances due to pandemic-related stress, KFF’s report stated. Substance abuse deaths skyrocketed during the pandemic, with more than 72,000 in 2019 and 93,000 in 2020. According to KFF, “The recent uptick in substance use and related deaths disproportionately affected many people of color, although White people continue to account for the largest share of deaths due to drug overdose per year.”

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Started in 1949 by Mental Health America, the annual observation seeks to bring attention to the importance of caring for mental health as one would any other bodily injury or illness.

Mental health and substance abuse treatment are an essential benefit of all health plans available from Washington Healthplanfinder.

There are many ways to help pay the cost of health coverage:

• Cascade Care plans — Cascade and Cascade Select — are Washington’s public option plans. On average, deductibles are $1,000 less than other plans. Additionally, more services are covered before the deductible is met, including primary care visits, mental health services and generic prescriptions. Learn more about Cascade and Cascade Select plans at www.wahealthplanfinder.org/us/en/get-coverage/i-want-to/new-2021-health-plans-including-cascade-care.html.
• Tax credits lower the cost of your health plan’s premium each month. Tax credit amounts are based on your income and other factors, like whether you have access to other affordable insurance, and are paid by the federal government.
• Cost-sharing reductions lower the amount you pay at the time you get health care. Your savings depend on your income and family size. In most cases, cost-sharing reductions are part of the Silver plan level.
• People under a certain income level qualify for free or low-cost coverage through Washington Apple Health (Medicaid).

Resources

Adult Data 2022. 2022. Webpage. 4 May 2022. <https://www.mhanational.org/issues/2022/mental-health-america-adult-data>.

Mental Health and Substance Use State Fact Sheets. 13 Dec. 2021. Kaiser Family Foundation. Webpage. 4 May 2022. <https://www.kff.org/statedata/mental-health-and-substance-use-state-fact-sheets/washingto>.

"You are NOT ALONE fact sheet." 2020. National Alliancne on Mental Health. PDF document. 4 May 2022. <https://www.nami.org/NAMI/media/NAMI-Media/Infographics/NAMI_YouAreNotAlone_2020_FINAL.pdf>.