In the November 7th issue of the Daily Herald, Dr. David Schreiber, MD, CEO and Co-Founder of Compass Health Center, urges leaders across the state to address the mental health crisis that impacts Illinois. 

 

It’s Time to Address the Illinois Mental Health Crisis 

 

As students in Illinois and across the country return to school this month, families are approaching a tipping point in the mental health crisis – and leaders are working to respond. For example, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy recently called for an adolescent mental health warning label on social media sites. And, more recently he issued a new advisory calling parental stress a major public health issue. Social scientist Jonathan Haidt has written a new book “The Anxious Generation,” talking about the mental health crisis that has been near the top of the New York Times bestseller list. And, Governor JB Pritzker has committed to address the growing mental health crisis by expanding access to behavioral health services in Illinois. 

While mental health remains an issue that affects all 50 states, over 145,000 Illinoisians aged 12–17 are struggling with depression. Moreover, a startling 61.8% of Illinoisans aged 12–17 with depression did not receive any care in the last year.  

This is not a crisis without solutions. Compass Health Center, co-founded by Dr. Claudia Welke and myself, emerged from our experiences as Child and Adolescent and Adult Psychiatrists working on an inpatient child unit within a large hospital system. Our recent analysis for 2023 focuses on the treatment provided to predominantly Illinois-based patients, showcasing our commitment to effective mental health care solutions. 

The key finding is that intermediate mental health treatment can reduce depression and anxiety symptoms by 50% for adolescents and adults. 

 

Read full article here

Nov Blog (2)-1

 

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