Logan County Department of Public Health promotes mental health awareness during the holiday season

[December 22, 2022] 

The Holidays are happy times for most, but for some, this time of year can stir memories of lost loved ones which can lead to loneliness or depression. It’s not just during the holidays, but mental health is becoming a year-round growing issue in most communities.

Adverse life experiences such as physical neglect, emotional abuse and neglect from others, the fading family structure, family illness, drug and alcohol abuse are just a few factors that can lead to trauma, depression, mental stress. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), from 2019 to 2021, the percentage of adults who received mental health treatment increased from 19.2% to 21.6%. In addition, nearly 17% of youth (ages 6-17) experienced mental health disorders in 2016.

Mental health conditions can include depression and anxiety. Depression is when one experiences a sad mood or irritability which lasts most of the day, nearly every day for at least 2 weeks, and interferes with normal everyday functioning. Signs of depression include, but are not limited to, loss of interest in fun activities, sadness, irritability, sleeping disturbance, eating too much or too little, lack of concentration and memory, always feeling tired, feeling guilty, worthless, or helpless, or thinking about suicide. Signs of depression may also be physical which includes commonly experiencing aches, pains, headache, or stomach problems that do not improve with treatment. Anxiety disorders also go hand in hand with depression. People with anxiety disorder may struggle with intense and uncontrollable anger, fear, worry and/or panic which can interfere with daily living.

With the increased complexities of life, mental health disorders are becoming more common as more people are seeking help for themselves or a loved one.  If you or a loved one is under emotional stress or experiencing depression, having thoughts about injuring oneself or committing suicide, the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline can be reached at 988 to provide counselling, support, and connections to needed resources 24 hours, 7 days a week. Other suggested resources include your mental health or healthcare provider, a spiritual leader in the faith community, reaching out to a friend. For life threatening situations requiring emergency medical services, call 911.

In addition, there are local resources available through Memorial Behavioral Health such as the Crisis Clinic (217-525-1064) for people in need of being linked to immediate emotional support or resources. For people suffering from non-crisis issues such as anxiety or depression, they can call Memorial Behavioral Health Emotional Support Line (217-588-5509) from 8am – 8pm (Monday-Friday). The service is free. For people suffering from a mental health crisis needing immediate care, Memorial Health also provides a free Mobile Crisis Response service (217-788-7070) which operates around the clock and is an alternative to an emergency room visits.

The Logan County Department of Public Health (LCDPH) supports its partners in promoting good mental health and urges people in need to take advantage of available resources. For more information regarding LCDPH services, you can call 217-735-2317 or log onto their website at WWW.LCDPH.ORG.

[Don Cavi, MS, LEHP
Public Health Administrator
Logan County Department of Public Health]
Information Source: CDC/Memorial Behavioral Health