One in five Americans has a mental illness or substance use disorder, yet many are reluctant to seek help or simply don’t know where to turn for care. Recognizing mental health and substance use challenges can be difficult, which is why it’s so important for everyone to understand the warning signs and risk factors. Even when friends and family of someone who may be developing a mental illness recognize that something is amiss, they may not know how to intervene or direct the person to proper treatment. All too often, those in need of mental health services do not get them until it is too late. (The National Council)
National Statistics:
In Illinois, suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death for people ages 15 - 34. In McHenry County, suicide took the lives of 35 residents in 2015, 23 in 2016, and 43 in 2017. According to the results of McHenry County’s 2017 Healthy Community Study, during the 12 months of 2016, 8.6% of our households had thought about suicide. Studies show that there are more than 25 attempted suicides for each suicide death. In the past 3 months alone, we lost an 11 year middle school female student and a 15 year old high school male student. (McHenry County Mental Health Board)