(May 2, 2016) It's mental health awareness month. You may already be aware of the devastating impact our broken mental health system has on the hundreds of thousands of families who have loved ones with severe mental illness spiraling in an out of psychosis without access to treatment. But here are a few startling statistics you might not be aware of:
Are you aware that we have a mental health system starved for needed psychiatric beds? There are now 10x more people with severe mental illness behind bars than receiving treatment in a hospital. The country has only 14.1 beds per 100,000 people.
Are you aware that those with untreated serious brain disorders are at an increased risk of suicide? The rate of suicide among people with bipolar disorder is 10-15 percent; schizophrenia is 5 percent. The rate of attempted suicide is even higher, with some studies reporting 50 percent.
Are you aware that people with untreated psychiatric illnesses are especially vulnerable to homelessness and victimization? People with SMI comprise one-third of the homeless population and are at an increased risk of being assaulted, raped or even victims of homicide.
Are you aware that individuals with severe mental illness are more likely to be killed by police? They are 16 times more likely to be killed during a police encounter than other civilians approached or stopped by law enforcement.
Instead of another mental health awareness month, we need legislators to take action. We need them to repeal the discriminatory IMD exclusion and reform the devastating causes and consequences of our national psychiatric bed shortage.
VOICE the need for more beds with your followers and federal, state and local policymakers. Share this link on Facebook and Twitter to help us raise awareness about the devastating consequences our psych bed shortage and broken system has on people in need. Use the hashtag #aBedInstead.
For more information on our psychiatric bed campaign, visit #aBedInstead.
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