You don’t need to be a mental health professional to see that the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic extend beyond the physical.
Worldwide, due to the pandemic, Anxiety and depression prevalenceA study in the United States found that Suicide-related emergency room visits In 2021 there were over 50% more girls than in 2019.
Philadelphia isn’t invincible either, and our city is suffering. Mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and addiction A long-standing systemic problem It’s mostly ignored and not addressed.
we have seen A Tragic Rise in Community Violence, which is caused in part by the systemic trauma of poverty and racism.often marginalized communities poor mental health outcomes.
” read more: The Role of Mental Health in Gun Violence Is Not Simple, No Easy Fixes
Only 8.5% of adults living in Center City report poor mental health, The proportion is 22.7%, almost three times that of adults living in Kensington.Similarly, Center City has 4.5 overdose deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, while Kensington has 152. The citywide violent crime rate is 95 per 10,000 people, but in areas such as Nicetown Tioga, the rate is more than 2.5 times higher than he.
Add a Mental Health Professional Philadelphia Health Commission — A person trained in mental illness and addiction, such as a licensed clinical social worker, psychologist, or psychiatrist — will be an important step in tackling the complex public health challenges facing our cities.
The Board of Health is the city’s public health policy-making body.consists of Health Commissioner Cheryl Bettygor When 7 mayoral appointees, three of which must be doctors. The Board of Health has the authority to set the health department’s priorities, review and advance public health policy, and guide the city toward healing, health, and well-being through the public health framework.
Currently, the Philadelphia Board of Health does not have anyone with expertise or experience in treating behavioral health or mental illness. This is a missed opportunity and has serious implications for the health and welfare of our cities.
There is a vacancy on the Board of Health after John Rich, a primary care physician. Co-founder of the Drexel Center for Nonviolence and Social Justice, away from his schedule. It is important that this vacancy be filled by someone with trauma-based mental health and addiction expertise.
The capacity of existing behavioral health systems in the United States and Philadelphia is Inadequate to meet rapidly growing demandAddressing the complex mental health challenges facing our cities requires prioritizing mental health topics and leading from a public health approach.
Mental health is a public health issue.
The current approach to mental health care is a traditional one-to-one system of treatment that cannot be scaled city-wide. The needs of the entire population can be addressed through a variety of interventions at levels. It is imperative that our cities understand mental health as a public health issue, and in particular the experience of trauma and adversity as underlying all mental health challenges.
If Health Boards Focused on Mental Health, It Can Ensure Mental health is considered and reflected in all urban policies, especially those concerning housing and homelessness, the judicial system, and child welfare. New York City’s current mayor recently proposed — does not consider mental health and may simply perpetuate the cycle of violence and trauma. We may ask the City to provide a range of services and supports, including the environment for
It addresses the complex needs of traumatized communities, reduce young people’s exposure to adverse childhood experiencesIt can also guide a citywide trauma-informed response to the COVID-19 pandemic, starting with the provision of trauma response services in the city’s health system.
Mental health and public health have traditionally been separate areas. Now is the time to recognize the holistic nature of health. Mental health is a public health problem and Philadelphia urgently needs help to deal with trauma, adversity and violence.
Elevating the voice of mental health professionals as part of the health board’s decision-making process may be what our city needs to heal during this time of crisis.
Kate Fox is the Behavioral Health Policy Coordinator for Children First and a PhD Candidate in Health Administration and Policy at the Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health. Her work focuses on mental health policy and advocacy.
