Joa Macnalie

The ABC's of Mental Health Disease Joa Macnalie

Mental health can take many forms, and disorders are of wide range.

According to the

statistics provided by NAMI, 50% of all mental health disorders will manifest

themselves around the age of 14; 7.7 million of the United States youth aged 6

to 17 were affected by a mental health disorder in 2016, and 1 in 6 of them

experiences a mental health condition each year.

Depression is

considered the leading disability worldwide, suicide ranks the second leading

cause of death among the population ages 10 to 34 in the United States alone,

and up to 90% of the people who died by suicide had shown symptoms of a mental

health condition revealed by psychological autopsies. These numbers are not to

be taken lightly, and they make us wonder, how can we help our youth feel safe

and in touch with their feelings?

Some mental health

issues are more visible than others, but we should never assume that people are

not battling internally just because they don't seem to be struggling

outwardly.

That's what this book

is about: not looking away from what could affect any of us, or our loved ones

of any age.

The more you talk

about it, the easier it gets. It is time we all start and normalize our own

conversations surrounding mental health, and we must each do our part to create

a more caring and supportive environment for future generations to come.