The Ipswich Public Health Department joins the American
Public Health Association (APHA) to celebrate National Public Health Week and
wants to remind residents about the importance of mental health and well-being.
As part of NPHW, Ipswich Public Health would like to highlight Monday's
theme of behavioral health and remind residents of the importance of mental
health. According to the APHA, about one in every five U.S. adults experience
mental illness in a given year, and one in five youth ages 13 to 18 experiences
a severe mental disorder at some point in their lives.
One of the resources available to residents through the Substance Abuse
and Mental Health Services Administration is the Behavioral Health Treatment
Services Locator, which can be found by at https://www.samhsa.gov/. The
online tool is a confidential and anonymous source of information for anyone
seeking treatment in the United States for substance abuse, addiction or mental
health problems.
SAMHSA also offers a national helpline with free and confidential
information about treatment and referral in English and Spanish, 800-662-HELP
(4357), which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for individuals and
family members facing substance abuse and mental health issues.
When
discussing mental health, it's also important to address suicide awareness. To
learn more about the warning signs of suicide and available support go
to, https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org.
Residents can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at
800-273-8255 and receive 24/7 free and confidential support for people in
distress, prevention and crisis resources.
For more information about National Public Health Week, go to http://nphw.org/nphw-2018