Everyone deserves good mental health | Mercer Island Forum

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and Mercer Island Youth and Family Services (MIYFS) points out that each year, millions of Americans face the reality of living with a mental health condition.

MIYFS hopes Islanders will come together this month and display the community's characteristic compassion and strength for the 20 percent of us who will be affected by some sort of mental health condition in our lifetimes.

This month, MIYFS focuses on efforts to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health care and recommends Islanders consider asking for a "mental health check-up" at their next medical appointment. Living in a high-achieving, affluent community offers little protection from many common mental health conditions. Any shame or fear in addressing mental health must be left in the past.

One specialty at MIYFS is youth mental health. MIYFS counselors in the schools have long recognized that Island youth are at increased risk for developing anxiety and depressive disorders due to pressures to succeed.

One way MIYFS is helping this month is at Islander Middle School where the Natural Helpers Club will lead a Depression Awareness Campaign. This effort makes teens aware of the reality that 20 percent of their peers will experience a depressive episode prior to adulthood. Of those, 80 percent might never access any treatment for a variety of reasons. For some, it will be the stigma associated with mental health concerns, a cultural bias, a lack of information and the inability to afford services. For these youth, the goal is to see through the stigma and get themselves, or their friends, the help they need.

The campaign also provides seventh-grade students a depression toolkit, which teaches the warning signs of depression: depressed mood, sadness or irritability, loss of interest or pleasure in activities, change in weight or appetite, change in sleep, feeling sped up or slowed down, fatigue or loss of energy, feelings of worthlessness or guilt, trouble concentrating or making decisions and thoughts of death or acts of self-harm. It also teaches students skills to improve their overall mental health, including adequate sleep, exercise, nutrition and coping skills.

Underlying the information provided to youth is a basic tenet of Mental Health Awareness Month: that mental health conditions are treatable, recovery is possible and it is important to speak up and get professional help when needed. If you or anyone you know is experiencing a mental health issue, please reach out. No one should face any medical issue alone.

MIYFS offers free mental health consultations and all Island residents are offered ongoing, confidential mental health treatment on a sliding fee scale. For more information, call 206-275-7611.

Harry Brown, MA, LMFT is a youth and family services mental health professional based at Islander Middle School.