One in five Americans experiences a serious emotional disturbance or mental illness each year. We cannot afford to ignore illnesses more prevalent than cancer, lung disease and heart disease combined.

Physical illnesses are generally treated, but often mental illnesses are not. Individuals may not prioritize their mental health needs, many health insurance companies do not offer comparable coverage and healthcare providers often do not recognize symptoms of mental health problems, even though nearly half of all visits to primary care doctors are related to psychological disorders such as anxiety and depression.

Mental health matters to our business community. Absenteeism, employee turnover and lost productivity are a few of the economic costs with untreated mental illness.

Many believe depression and increased anxiety are normal signs of aging, but mental illness is as treatable for seniors as other age groups. Suicide in the untreated mentally ill is 20 percent more likely than in other age groups. Twenty-five percent of families participating in a National Mental Health Association survey reported that mental illness has impacted their family.

At the Richmond Center, we served 2,263 individuals from Story, Boone and Greene counties last year and responded to 2,992 crisis situations.

May is Mental Health Month, it’s a time to acknowledge the importance of mental health and take action to ensure that individuals with mental illnesses have access to the care, treatment and prevention services they need. Senseless barriers such as stigma, misunderstanding and discrimination can be torn down by recognizing that mental illnesses are real, common and treatable.

Bruce Hoffmaster, LISW

Executive director

The Richmond Center