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Keeping on top of our mental health is an essential part of maintaining our wellbeing – however, for some, living with mental illness is simply a normal part of adult life. With more than one in five youth experiencing mental illness at some point in their life, providing mental health support services is a critical part of maintaining the mental health and well-being of communities more broadly.
In recent years, state and federal governments have begun recognizing the benefits of proactively investing in mental health support and how it can act as a force multiplier for existing healthcare services. This has seen a flurry of announcements from state legislatures as they look to shore up mental health support.
If you’re a student worried about the psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner job outlook, or a current healthcare worker considering your future, these announcements should be reassuring — increased funding and services mean increased demand for workers.
In recent months, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has announced substantial investment in mental health response services, aiming to increase the size and capability of the state’s mental health response network. Let’s explore how these investments will help to shape the future of North Carolina’s mental health response – and how that’s a good thing for communities.
The Importance of Mental Health
Many of us grow up learning about the benefits of developing healthy habits – whether that be a nutritious diet, regular exercise, or developing strategies to help us manage the pressures of change. What is scarcely covered in the classroom, however, is the role that mental health can play in our changing physical health.
Mental health can have serious impacts on our ongoing physical well-being. For example, someone who is experiencing depressive symptoms may be physically incapable of attending work for periods of time or may experience an increased risk of developing serious conditions, such as heart disease and stroke.
While mental health is rarely talked about, maintaining a level of positive mental health is crucial to living a long and healthy life. Fortunately, a modern acceptance that mental health should be important has helped normalize conversations about mental health with our peers and families – helping to bring awareness to the broader public of mental health issues more consistently.
Benefits of Mental Health Funding
Investing in mental health resources, such as clinics and crisis response centers, is one way to tackle the challenges associated with poor mental health. Did you know that by proactively investing in mental health support, governments can create programs that are far more effective than programs that work in response to emergency events?
The economics are somewhat novel but incredibly powerful. Consider, for example, a patient who commits an act of harm as a result of a mental health incident. While this can be a profoundly concerning event for those who experience it (and help is available if you need to talk about it), these events can sometimes be prevented.
Studies have shown that legislatures could make a substantial return on investment by introducing scaled-up treatment for conditions such as anxiety or depression. A report published in The Lancet found that the reciprocal investment in healthcare and services was approximately four dollars for every dollar made of healthcare investment.
Mental health funding can also have more than a simple monetary impact. By investing in practical mental health support, you can reduce the reliance on hospitals and other health institutions for mental health care, freeing up those resources to address different needs.
Making a Meaningful Impact
One such program that has had a substantial impact on the lives of those who struggle with mental illness in North Carolina has been the implementation of what’s called a Warmline. These services differ from traditional hotlines in that they’re designed for people who are going through noncritical mental health concerns – for example, someone may be feeling isolated and choose to reach out to the Warmline service, organized by the Promise Resource Network. This mental health organization is operated by people who have lived through complex and challenging experiences, such as trauma, incarceration, or substance use. These people then use their knowledge to help provide guidance and calm – a companion voice when experiencing trouble.
These services then connect the Warmline caller to a trained peer support professional – someone who may have lived experience with mental health and can relate to the issues meaningfully with the caller.
Recognizing the benefit of Warmlines and other peer-assisted services for those tackling mental health concerns, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services recently announced investments totaling $22 million to expand peer respite services to more cities across North Carolina.
The benefits that peer-assisted programs such as Warmlines bring to communities across North Carolina show that mental healthcare investment is more than just a crisis response and that it can truly make a difference for those who need support.
As mental health needs continue to evolve in North Carolina, nursing practitioners will need to consider the role that support programs will have in turning the tide of mental health that has swept the United States.