According to a study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, nearly 1 in 5 Americans struggle with some form of mental illness. In Oregon, that number is 1 in 4, and the state’s suicide rate is one of the highest in the country. However, mental illness has largely been silent from conversations related to individual and societal success, but findings show just how crucial this component is to long-term health and creating opportunities for people to seek the support they need.
The Adverse Childhood Experiences Study (ACES), for example, found a correlation between all early childhood experiences on future health. Divorce, parental incarceration, homelessness and abuse are all directly
related to a person’s likelihood to develop future challenges. A trauma-informed approach acknowledges that triggers to mental illness continue to affect our emotional well-being. However, the stigma attached to mental illness means that many suffer in silence or end up in major crisis, which leads to missed opportunities for prevention and valuable intervention, and even a decline in education, job performance, and overall physical health.