Artwork by Monica Garwood for Anxy magazine

Over the past five years, Battery Powered has explored incarceration, homelessness, youth disconnection, and gun violence. Mental health is directly related, and sometimes central, to many of these past themes. 

Source: National Alliance for Mental Illness                         

It is clear that working on mental health disorders and illness should be a priority - the human and social toll is enormous. But good mental health is not simply the absence of mental illness. Good mental health allows us to engage in work and play, express our full potential, and adapt to change and stress. 

We can look at mental health as a continuum ranging from optimal health to severe illness. We all fall on that continuum, and where we fall can change throughout the stages of our lives. For too many, a shift toward illness can begin a downward spiral. But it doesn’t have to be this way; we can work toward mental wellness for all, just as we do for physical health. 

Imagine you have a serious case of pneumonia but are otherwise fit, have health insurance, a safe place to sleep, reliable transportation, and friends and family to help you heal. Now imagine the same scenario without these resources. It would be more difficult to get better. Maybe it would be impossible. The illness is the same, but the person with more internal and external resources is likely to heal more quickly and fully. Mental health is similar. When individuals have treatment access, resources, knowledge, and support, they are more resilient and able to manage change in their mental health.

A lot of people are suffering. Every year, 1 in 5 adults and 1 in 6 youth in the U.S. experience a mental health disorder or illness. Particularly alarming is the rise in youth in-patient visits for suicide, suicide ideation or self-injury, which increased by more than 100% since 2006. Mental health among youth is getting substantially worse and there are no definitive explanations for why. 

Too few of those suffering are getting treatment. Less than half of adults who experience a mental illness receive treatment. The numbers are even worse for people of color and residents of rural areas. For those who do seek treatment, the average delay between the onset of symptoms and treatment is 11 years. Untreated mental health conditions may lead to myriad other challenges or may become chronic conditions. 

It is costly. Mental health issues cost our society over $400 billion annually in indirect cost of care and loss of productivity. But most important is the cost in human lives and suffering.

Source: National Alliance for Mental Illness                                                 

We need a shift. We need to place mental health at the center of our efforts to support overall health, wellness, and productivity.

What does it look like when we prioritize mental health?

Prioritizing mental health would mean ensuring equitable access to activities that boost wellness and social capital, screening, and high-quality mental health treatment at every point in a person’s life-course, from pediatric to geriatric. Stigma, income, race, and geography would not pose barriers to help, and providers would be non-judgmental, compassionate, and committed to providing trauma-informed, culturally–relevant treatment in the least restrictive setting possible. Values and laws would reflect a culture that supports good mental health, and we would eliminate gaps in the system of care. Finally, our jails would no longer be the largest provider of mental health services; instead, individuals would receive appropriate care in their communities.

Our approach will support this vision. 

Like physical health, mental health exists on a continuum ranging from optimal health to severe illness. Like physical health, some people are born with conditions that make them more susceptible to mental illness, while some people are exposed to conditions during their lives (trauma, for example) that can cause or exacerbate mental health challenges. Even the “most well” can become ill and, just like with physical health, the more mentally fit you are, the greater ability you have to recover if adversity arises. We will look across this spectrum for places where our funding can make a difference. This might mean wellness-boosting activities in communities experiencing trauma on one end of the spectrum, or research into new treatments for those with a serious mental illness on the other end.

We propose three areas of focus where Battery Powered can support the vision of communities where mental health is a priority. 

Early Intervention. Early signs of mental health conditions, including exposure to trauma, are often ignored. We can change the trajectory for many if we treat mental health as preventative care. This includes building social capital  and integrating services that respond to adversity - rather than just pathology - into settings like schools, prenatal care, and more.	Effective Treatment. Equitable access to evidence-based mental health services can make wellness and recovery a reality for people living with mental illness. Research to advance new therapies and technologies also can yield more effective treatment.	Divert Incarceration. Many people have been incarcerated for exhibiting the symptoms of their mental health condition. This is disproportionately true for low-income individuals and persons of color. We will support diversion efforts that shift treatment from the criminal justice system to healing-centered care in the community, where individuals are more likely to get well.

Across these focus areas, we will emphasize reducing stigma. Unlike physical health, where some conditions are heavily stigmatized and others are not, all mental health conditions are stigmatized. Stigma creates roadblocks for those who need help and contributes greatly to low treatment rates. We will also point out areas where we can improve equity in access to care, because poverty is one of the most significant determinants of physical and mental illness. Poverty also interacts with other characteristics like race/ethnicity, education, environment, and access to healthcare.