Saving Our Streets: Part 3- Treating Mental Illness at a Young Age

Mental Illness and developmental disabilities are starting to be detected in children as early as two years old. The most common childhood mental disorders are anxiety disorders, depression, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). There are many treatment options available for children that are affected but extensive assessments have to be done to see what is most effective for the child, such as medications, educational interventions, and psychotherapy. Children with mental-health problems can have lower educational achievement, greater involvement with the criminal justice system, and fewer stable placements in the child welfare system.  Due to mental illness being frowned upon in black communities, many parents do not take them to get tested, so either most people are checked by a school doctor, or there’s a major issue when the child gets older.

Many colleges are becoming proactive with addressing and treating mental illness. Depression and anxiety is on the rise in many college campuses around the world. According to the U.C.L.A Higher Education Research Institute Annual Freshman Survery, a record high of 11.9 percent of the students in the 2016 incoming class reported “frequently” feeling depressed in the past year, and 13.9 percent said “there was a very good chance they would seek personal counseling in college.” And for the first time in the survey’s history, less than half (47 percent) consider their mental health to be above average relative to their peers. “I was first tested in college, I had been feeling funny and needing to know why and what was going on with me, especially because it was causing me to start sleeping a lot,” said Bruce Garcia.

Bruce was tested in college but did not follow through with his medications. After his third year he dropped out and turned to a life of drugs. “I am in treatment now, and I go to my group meetings. I have been trying to stay focused but what I do realize is I am a lot better around people that I feel are more like myself. It’s not easy being a recovering drug addict and I feel that I should probably be dead, but group has really been helping me,” said Garcia.

Community outreach programs in Detroit have been working hard and working together to keep mental illness and drug abuse down in the city.  Detroit Recovery Project and The Detroit Rescue Mission are two leading community programs for assistance in the city of Detroit and the metro area. Support is community based, and a lot of these non-profit programs need help from community volunteers. Mental illness can be controlled with the proper treatment and the proper support.

Mental Illness and developmental disabilities are starting to be detected in children as early as two years old. The most common childhood mental disorders are anxiety disorders, depression, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). There are many treatment options available for children that are affected but extensive assessments have to be done to see what is most effective for the child, such as medications, educational interventions, and psychotherapy. Children with mental-health problems can have lower educational achievement, greater involvement with the criminal justice system, and fewer stable placements in the child welfare system.  Due to mental illness being frowned upon in black communities, many parents do not take them to get tested, so either most people are checked by a school doctor, or there’s a major issue when the child gets older.

Many colleges are becoming proactive with addressing and treating mental illness. Depression and anxiety is on the rise in many college campuses around the world. According to the U.C.L.A Higher Education Research Institute Annual Freshman Survery, a record high of 11.9 percent of the students in the 2016 incoming class reported “frequently” feeling depressed in the past year, and 13.9 percent said “there was a very good chance they would seek personal counseling in college.” And for the first time in the survey’s history, less than half (47 percent) consider their mental health to be above average relative to their peers. “I was first tested in college, I had been feeling funny and needing to know why and what was going on with me, especially because it was causing me to start sleeping a lot,” said Bruce Garcia.

Bruce was tested in college but did not follow through with his medications. After his third year he dropped out and turned to a life of drugs. “I am in treatment now, and I go to my group meetings. I have been trying to stay focused but what I do realize is I am a lot better around people that I feel are more like myself. It’s not easy being a recovering drug addict and I feel that I should probably be dead, but group has really been helping me,” said Garcia.

Community outreach programs in Detroit have been working hard and working together to keep mental illness and drug abuse down in the city.  Detroit Recovery Project and The Detroit Rescue Mission are two leading community programs for assistance in the city of Detroit and the metro area. Support is community based, and a lot of these non-profit programs need help from community volunteers. Mental illness can be controlled with the proper treatment and the proper support.