Mental health stigma: changing minds and outcomes

Last month’s tragedy in Connecticut thrust our country into a painful moment of collective reflection. The debate on how to prevent such a tragedy from happening again touches upon many subjects: gun control, school security measures, and the possible effects of video game violence on young brains, among them.

And then there is the question of the mental illness. Consider a simple fact: Mental, emotional, or behavioral health problems affect one in five children and adolescents. Put another way: a child is as likely to suffer one of these disorders as s/he is to break a bone. Mental health affects everyone regardless of race, class, gender, sexual orientation or socioeconomic status.

Consider another fact: Mental illness is preventable. Unfortunately, many people who suffer mental illness do not seek the treatment they need because of real or perceived barriers. Among these are:

·      Attitude: Believing that mental illness will resolve on its own or believing that psychiatric care would not be beneficial

·      Financial concerns: Lack of health insurance coverage, or coverage that leaves a large amount owed by the patient.

·      Poor self-perception: Unlike with physical illnesses, people suffering from a mental illness often do not realize that they are ill.

·      Poor access:  Some Americans have poor access to mental health care services because they live in a rural environment. Others lack transportation options or are overwhelmed by work and home responsibilities.

·      Stigma: Many patients believe a stigma exists regarding the mentally ill. They feel that negative stereotypes could damage their careers or relationships. Embarrassed and fearful of what others may think, they do not seek the services they need.

Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Getting help at the earliest possible time is key to feeling better and possibly to preventing mental illness altogether. Early identification and intervention improve outcomes for children, before these conditions become far more serious, more costly and difficult to treat. Some facts on children and mental illness from Mental Health America reveal the scope of the problem:

·      13% of youth aged 8-15 live with mental illness severe enough to cause significant impairment in their day-to-day lives. This figure jumps to 21 percent in youth aged 13-18.

·      Half of all lifetime cases of mental illness begin by age 14 and three quarters by age 24.

·      Despite the availability of effective treatment, there are average delays of 8 to 10 years between the onset of symptoms and intervention—critical developmental years in the life of a child. In our nation, only about 20% of youth with mental illness receive treatment.

·      Unidentified and untreated mental illness is associated with serious consequences for children, families and communities:

o   Approximately 50% of students aged 14 and older with mental illness drop out of high school—the highest dropout rate of any disability group.

o   90% of those who die by suicide have a mental illness. Suicide is the third leading cause of death for youth aged 15-24; more youth and young adults die from suicide than from all natural causes combined.

o   70% of youth in state and local juvenile justice systems have mental illness, with at least 20% experiencing severe symptoms. At the same time, juvenile facilities fail to adequately address the mental health needs of youth in their custody.

(For more information, see Children's mental health fact sheet: Mental Health America.)

We know HOW to prevent many forms of mental illness through appropriate, timely interventions. If we are to capitalize on our proven ability to shape healthier lives, however, we must rethink our negative attitudes. The answer to our mental health crisis lies in education and the correction of common misperceptions. Shine a light on the problem and the barriers facing those in need of help will begin to fall.

The state of Juvenile Justice

Glenn R. McGloughlin / Shutterstock.com

This fall I attended a meeting of the newly reorganized Federal Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice in Washington, D.C..  (You can learn more about this advisory committee at http://www.facjj.org/)  While there I listened to researchers, front-line staff in the state juvenile justice systems, and federal staff from the Office Of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention speak about their concerns and hopes for youth who become involved with the justice system.  There were some harsh realities presented and clearly some work to be done.  However, I came away from the meeting filled with a great deal of hope for the future.

One thing for those of you who may not be familiar with the details of the Juvenile Justice system in the United States....I believe that it is extremely important to understand WHY we have a separate system for juveniles who break the law.  Young humans are operating with brains that do not function in the same way as those of adults (this is actually true for most youngsters under 24 years of age, not just the age when we consider them adults in terms of the justice system).  We should not expect them to behave as adults, especially in situations where there are risk versus reward decisions to be made.  Nor should we expect them to respond to incarceration or other elements of a justice system in the same way as adults.  We have a lot of evidence to the contrary.  We know that they are different and need a different system.

At this meeting the intent of those in leadership was clear.  Penetration into the Juvenile Justice System should be 1) rare, 2) fair, and 3) beneficial.  At present we are not meeting these goals. In the US we hold five times more young people in secure facilities than the nation with the next highest rate.  Clearly, penetration into the system is not rare (read more about this in the Annie E. Casey Foundation's report No Place For Kids).  The good news is that those who work in Juvenile Justice are very aware of this fact and are working hard to move towards diversion and prevention.

Based on the number of minority and impoverished youth being held, the US system is not universally fair, either.  (The same is true of our adult system.) Even in Maine, the number of children of color being held far exceeds that which we would expect based on our demographics.  Once again, there is a glimmer of good news...the reduction of disproportionate minority contact within the justice system is a top priority for the Department of Justice and many states' Departments of Corrections.  For example, Maine's Juvenile Justice Advisory Group is working very hard with its partners in Corrections and Law Enforcement to bring equity and fair treatment to all youth who come in contact with the system. Some great progress is being seen here and in other jurisdictions.

The idea that young people should leave a secure placement better off than when they entered is one of those ideas that may not be on the top of your mind when thinking about a justice system.  For many citizens, incarceration is about punishment...not about fostering positive personal growth.  For me, it is here that it is most important for us to remember that we are talking about children here.  Many who are held may be teens, but they are still children who need guidance and time to mature to become healthy adults who can positively contribute to society.  I believe that we must do all that we can to ensure that children who must be detained by the justice system have been provided an opportunity to overcome the negative experiences and situations that they have endured AND that we don't separate them completely from whatever healthy support systems they may have.  The good news here is that we are learning more about what works, and increasingly bringing that knowledge to bear on the system.

It is clear that we have far to go...but with a commitment to these three objectives we can make a profound difference. I am proud to be working on the prevention of youth delinquency and violence in my community and to serve on both the Maine Juvenile Justice Advisory Group and the Federal Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice.  If you have issues or facts related to Juvenile Justice that you would like to talk to me about, please get in touch!  (dalene@fivetownctc.org)

Regaining Your Rep

One of the blogs that we recommend and regularly follow is CyberSlammed.  When reading CyberSlammed's November 8th blog post, we learned that when it comes to addressing the question "Where do I start?" when dealing with an incident of cyber bullying, CyberSlammed recommends the no-nonsense approach taken by RegainYourName.com.

Regain Your Name was created by a reputation management consultant who had previously worked in education, and was a victim of cyber stalking and harassment who knew first-hand what would and wouldn’t achieve the removal of bullying material on the Internet. Drawing on experience of e-safety in education, cyber bullying and social media marketing, they offer advice to individuals, schools and anti-bullying advocates based on our considerable experience in this field. All of their eBook and video material stems from real examples of removing grossly offensive material on the web. All of their free advice is based on strategies they’ve already seen work.

Apart from their online services, they also offer training solutions, speakers for conference events, schools and educational workshops.

We encourage you to visit the CyberSlammed website, the CyberSlammed blog, and RegainYourName.com to learn more about how you can support victims of cyber bullying and reduce your own risk of becoming a victim.

Why I support Five Town Communities That Care

Peter Johnson works for Bay Chamber Concerts and is a valuable member of Five Town CTC's PR Workgroup.


In my job as Marketing Coordinator for Bay Chamber Concerts, I have the pleasure every day of seeing students of all ages come into our downtown Rockport facility for music lessons.  Having myself grown up in Rockport with a passion for music, I can relate to the many young students who come by.  I believe that music can play an important role for kids as they develop into confident individuals with clearly defined interests and unique personalities. 

For me, discovering funk and blues with Mr. Seymour and the METros band in middle school played that role.  Today, Bay Chamber is playing that role for 120 students in private lessons, ages 4 to 80, as well as babies from birth to age 5 in Early Childhood classes.  Counting all programs, there are over 300 participants at Bay Chamber’s Music School.  I’m proud to have a role in an organization that is dedicated to changing these students’ lives through music.

Another organization I’m proud to play a role in is Five Town CTC – I currently serve on the Public Relations Workgroup.  Like Bay Chamber, FTCTC is committed to enhancing the lives of our community’s youth.  By using the latest research and tested and effective programs, CTC is promoting healthy youth by addressing problem areas for youth such as substance abuse, suicide, violence, delinquency, school drop-out, and teen pregnancy.  CTC is making a positive impact in the place I live and care about.  I’m thankful for the work they do, and I’m proud of their collaboration with Bay Chamber. 

Are we really THAT busy?

Things have been pretty busy around the Five Town CTC offices.  Things at home have been stacking up, too.  When I talk to others, it seems that they have the same story to tell.  Too much to do, too little time to do it all.  How did we get here?

I suppose some of it has to do with the ability of technology to increase the realm of what is feasible.  But some of of it has to do with our American, fiercely competitive nature.  I can get caught up in this, especially at work.  But when I stop to really think about how I spend my time, I often wonder why I choose to do some things rather than others.

My hope for my children (who are all adults now) is that they will do a better job than I have at balancing time spent working, relaxing, and volunteering.  So many adults run from one thing to the next and tend to schedule their children's time the same way.  I am not sure that a lack "down time" is a good thing...are we creating a generation that has to be constantly stimulated to function?  What does this mean for those people who need more time to reflect and process?

How about YOU?  Are you focusing your time and energy on things that are important to you?  On things that you have a decent hope of doing well?  I find that this type of reflection on a regular basis helps me to avoid the creep of things that I feel I should do, but don't devote enough time to.  Being on another committee when I know that I really can't make most of the meetings or devote enough time to the project is probably not going to help either me OR the organization holding the meetings.  Skipping exercise or skimping on sleep compromises my health and makes me less productive overall.

In the spirit of being helpful (and to encourage me to use the process again!) I have decided to share a simple technique that I use when things get really hectic.  Anyone can use it, even youngsters.  Peter Drucker was a champion of this technique, which he called organized abandonment.  In theory, all it takes is an honest inventory of your commitments and the time that it really takes to pay sufficient attention to them.  In practice, it takes having the courage to say, I am not going to do "x" anymore.

I encourage you to try this for yourself, and then if you have children, to examine their lives in the same way.  It can be quite enlightening.

First step is to list all of the activities, clubs, groups, jobs, and relationships that you are a part of.  (Go ahead....make a list.)

Once the list is finished, put down the number of hours per month you actually spend on each thing. Be honest.  (You may have to keep a log for a week or two to get an accurate look at where your time goes, as Laura Vanderkam of the Wall Street Journal pointed out in her recent article.)  Next to that column, put the number of hours you would need to spend on each to give them the attention that they really need. (Not to get by, but to really feel good about what will come of them.)

Next, add things to the list that you know should be there but aren't.  Add in the hours per month that you would need to spend to do them justice.  (Did you add exercise or some type of creative outlet? Cleaning your home or office?)

Once this is filled in, order the items in the list according to their importance to you.  (I hope that time spent with family or friends would make it to the top of the list, as should "you" time and sleep!)

Finally add up your total hours.  Is it more than 720 (including sleep)?  If so, start crossing off things from the bottom of the list until you get to a total that is 720 or less.  Those things that you crossed off are candidates for abandonment.  (To make the process easier, it is important to note that you ARE already cutting things if your list is longer than that many hours.)

I would love to hear back from you if you try this, especially if you took a look at your children's lives!

Breaking the silence on sexual violence

This week's blog contribution comes from Sasha Mackey, outreach advocate with Sexual Assault Support Services of Midcoast Maine.  Five Town Communities That Care strives to promote healthy youth and to reduce adolescent substance abuse, suicide, violence, delinquency, school drop-out, and teen pregnancy.  Here in the Five Towns, we are blessed to have much lower rates of overall violence in our community than many urban areas, but we are by no means violence free.  Sasha gives us a glimpse into a type of violence that most Mainers seldom talk about.

Breaking the Silence... Let’s Talk about it.

Sexual violence - what is it and who does it affect?

Sexual violence is an act of power that violates a person’s trust and feeling of safety.  This happens when someone forces or manipulates another person into any unwanted sexual activity.  Some forms of sexual violence include rape or sexual assault, child sexual assault and incest, intimate partner sexual assault, unwanted sexual contact/touching, molestation, sexual exploitation and sexual harassment. Sexual violence does not discriminate; it affects people of all genders, ages, races, religions, incomes, abilities, professions, ethnicities, and sexual orientations.

Did you know… 1 out of 5 Mainers reported being a victim of rape or attempted rape in their lifetime? (Rubin, 2007)

Chances are you know someone who has been sexually assaulted. 

A common myth that is often portrayed in our media culture, movies and TV is that of a sexual assault occurring late at night, down a dark ally by a complete stranger.  But sexual violence is not just a crime between strangers.  Survivors and offenders are often known classmates, loves ones, family members, neighbors, employers or friends.

Did you know… 11.9% of Maine high school students – 13.3% of girls, and 10.4% of boys – report having been physically forced to have sexual intercourse in their lifetime.

And 19.4% of Maine high school students – 24% of girls and 14.9% of boys – report having been the target of offensive sexual comments at school or on the way to or from school in their lifetime. (Maine Centers for Disease Control. 2010)

What you can do

These statistics are not meant to create fear, but meant only to raise awareness and break the silence that is attached to the issue of sexual violence. 

It is the responsibility of every member in the community to create safe and comfortable neighborhoods.  As parents and leaders in the community we can help by having open and honest discussions with each other and with our youth.  By talking about the issue in a safe and educational way, we get to be in charge of what message is delivered.  The statistics are proof that sexual violence does not go away if we just don’t talk about it.  We can model supportive relationships and behaviors with friends and family.  Trust your feelings, and listen to your “inner voice” if someone’s behavior feels unsafe, unwelcome or uncomfortable.  We can speak up when we hear harmful comments or witness violent acts.  And most importantly, we can stand up for survivors and believe their stories.

Did you know… Help and Support are available in your community.

Survivors of sexual violence can experience a wide range of emotions such as anger, sadness, fear, guilt, shame, doubt and the list goes on.  Some people may act differently and may be come quieter or secluded where others may act out or turn to harmful coping strategies.  If you or someone you know has felt the impact of sexual violence, support is available. 

Your community is supported by the Sexual Assault Support Services of Midcoast Maine.  If you have any questions, concerns or are looking for support, help is just a phone call away. 

Sexual Assault Support Services of Midcoast Maine

24 hour, free and confidential support line number for Eastern Cumberland, Sagadahoc, Lincoln, Knox and Waldo Counties 1-800-822-5999 or from a cell phone, 207-725-1500.

No one deserves to be sexual abused, so let’s work together to break that silence and as a community, we can all…

Celebrating community, Scout style

The following brief was submitted by Chris Mills, Committee Chair of Pack 200 Cub Scouts, Camden. His account of Scout participation in Five Town CTC's 3rd annual Harvest Hoot festival expresses so well the power of volunteering, of organized clubs, and of community spirit---and is a shining example of how these three elements combine to promote healthy youth in our community.

Five Town CTC wishes to thank all the Cub and Boy Scouts, their parents, and everyone from the Scout community who came out to help with the Hoot! If your organization would like to join with Five Town CTC in promoting healthy youth, give us a call!

Shelley and Finn Mills enjoy the Hoot!

EXTRAORDINARY SCOUTING IN CAMDEN

Pack and Troop 200 were asked by Five Town Communities That Care to coordinate all the kids activities and games at a six-hour family festival (Harvest Hoot) at the Camden Snow Bowl on September 8. We set up paintball slingshot, a Pinewood Derby, a rain gutter regatta, a boat building station, face painting, a craft table, cub cars and three large pine stumps where kids could pound nails to their hearts' content.  Andrew Clement, Scoutmaster, was there with some of his Scouts. He had his trailer set up doing a Dutch oven cooking demo over a fire. The beef stew and chocolate cherry cake, both prepared in Dutch ovens, were gobbled up by anyone who walked by. The Boy Scouts worked hard pulling cub cars up the hill and sitting on the dunk tank ---- a volunteer activity they thoroughly enjoyed.

We had a total of 18 Scouts and 19 adults who volunteered.  All Scouts and Scout leaders were in uniform. It was a perfect opportunity to show the community-at-large what Scouting is all about. The feedback from Five Town CTC has been very positive. The event organizers were amazed at all the activities that we had going on and how well staffed we were. The organizers got a lot of feedback from people attending about how much fun the kids area was. Everything that we offered was free, which made a big impression on the parents.

Our Scouts had a blast both manning stations and participating. It goes to show you that volunteering can be fun and fulfilling.

We made a very good impression on many adults with Scout age children and probably will see some come to our first Pack meeting.

-----Wake and act each day with the understanding that your actions will be absorbed by your children...and your children will grow to be contributing adults to the level of your influence.