2020

Owning a handgun is linked to a substantially increased risk of suicide, a large study released in NEJM found. Ken Norton, a NAMI spokesperson and ED of NAMI-NH, said the new findings are consistent with previous research and “question the prevailing notion that people feel safer when they have a firearm.” “If you’re a firearm owner and you have had thoughts of suicide or you’re not doing well, ask a friend to hold your guns for a while,” Norton advised. “You make that admission to protect yourself and your family.”

The coronavirus outbreak, which has disproportionately killed black Americans, along with the recent police killing of George Floyd and the protests that followed to demand justice for his death, have forced black people to experience extraordinary pain and anguish. Tending to one's mental health at such a moment may seem like an overwhelming task for numerous reasons, including because black people routinely face barriers to seeking mental health treatment, like culturally incompetent therapists and discrimination in healthcare settings. Mashable asked both Jameta Nicole Barlow, a community health psychologist and the National Alliance on Mental Illness to share mental health resources specifically for black people. (NAMI recently published a list here.) 

Racism and racial trauma continues to affect the mental wellbeing of Black people, who already face so many obstacles when it comes to receiving mental health treatment. As the National Alliance on Mental Illness stated, "racism is a public health crisis." If you feel like the continued incidents of police brutality and lack of injustice for Black lives (on top of living in a society that upholds systems of racism) are taking a toll on your mental health, the article provides resources that could be helpful right now.

Here's what you need to know about Mental Health Awareness month, what resources are available, and some advice on how to take control of your mental health during the coronavirus pandemic. Meanwhile, at NAMI, Daniel Gillison, CEO said that an online educational tool for parents looking to support their children who are showing symptoms of mental illness has increased in use by 580% in the past few months. Calls to their crisis helpline have increased by 65%. During this time it's important to be compassionate and gentle on yourself, but keep an eye out for any alarming symptoms or changes in behavior, thought patterns, or other daily routines.

Mental health experts are bracing for what Tom Insel calls a "mental health tsunami." They're anticipating a steep rise in the diseases of isolation—suicides, opioid abuse, domestic violence and depression—that will unfold over the next few months and could stretch on for years. So far, there's been little action where it is needed most: providing funding to address the mental health challenges brought on by the pandemic. "People have been speaking up about the mental health effects of this emergency, but we have yet to see real concrete actions to shore up our mental health system," says Angela Kimball, national director of advocacy and public policy for NAMI. "Any shortfall is likely to hit the poorest the hardest." Instead, patients have inundated crisis services lines.

When Mindi Hoggan’s daughter Chaylie, 28, died by suicide on May 17, Hoggan knew she wanted something that honored Holmgren and raised awareness about mental health. “If talking about it, exposing it, shouting it from the rooftops, will help even one person find a way to talk about their pain, a difference can and must be made,” the obituary reads. “This family should be saluted for their courageous approach to this epidemic,” Dr. Ken Duckworth, CMO of NAMI, told TODAY, adding that death by suicide has increased steadily every year since the 1990s. “The more light you let into the room, the less toxic it is likely to be. This is part of the human experience: despair, perfectionism, mental health, vulnerability.”

The blog post by Dan Gillison, CEO of NAMI, highlights the NAMI/Google partnership on an anxiety-disorder self-assessment tool. When people in the U.S. search on Google for information about anxiety, they’ll have access to a clinically-validated questionnaire called the GAD-7 (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7). The GAD-7 will show up in the knowledge panel—the box of information that displays key facts when you search for something—and also has medically-validated information about anxiety, including symptoms and common treatments.

When Dr. Ken Duckworth learned that a reporter interviewing him was from Alabama, the first thing he thought of was college football. “The absence of college football is not a mental health problem, but it takes away one of my favorite things in life,” said Duckworth, CMO of NAMI. For many, the COVID-19 outbreak is impacting people through the loss of favorite rituals and events, and for young people, the loss of opportunity. “First of all, take care of your own self. Not everybody needs a therapist,” Duckworth said. Get exercise, don’t use substances to excess, and put down all media after dinner, he said. “We are all in this together.”

The United Nations is urging leaders to address mental health as it says the pandemic is adding to psychological distress. This comes after a recent poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation found more than 4 in 10 Americans say stress from the pandemic has negatively impacted their mental health. Here & Now's Jeremy Hobson speaks with Ken Duckworth, who serves as the chief medical officer of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

Amid the coronavirus pandemic and isolation, our mental health is more fragile than ever. For Mental Health Awareness Month, "GMA" is sharing resources, tips and ways to protect your mental health. The article includes multiple NAMI Instagram graphics.