Posted on September 30, 2023
The Hill
Opinion piece co-authored by NAMI CEO Daniel Gillison and Kris Brown, president of Brady, about finding solutions to the gun violence crisis in America and the importance of not misrepresenting mental illness in the process. Mental health conditions are common around the globe, yet Americans kill each other with guns at 25 times the rate of other high-income countries. Most gun deaths are not the result of mass violence but are the result of suicide. Gun suicides account for over half of all gun deaths in the U.S. each year. Suicide rates reached a record high in 2022, with about 49,500 suicide deaths and more than half (26,993) the result of firearms. This number represents the majority of all gun deaths. Tragically, it is also a record high for gun-related suicides. Mental health is not the cause of gun violence in America, and we must stop viewing it as the root of this crisis. Together, if we shift our culture and amend our understanding of the relationship between mental health and guns, we can save lives.
READ MOREPosted on September 27, 2023
WebMD
George Kaufmann described difficulties he and his wife faced dealing with an adult child with mental illness. “As parents and family members, we got frustrated. We didn’t know what to do,” he said. “We didn’t have experience dealing with mental illness. We repeatedly did stuff that didn’t work or made things worse.” NAMI CMO Ken Duckworth, MD, agrees that being a caregiver to an adult child with mental illness is one of the most difficult things a parent can face. One of the most common feelings that parents of adult children with mental illness face is the sense that no one understands what they’re going through, Duckworth said. They feel lost, not knowing where to turn for practical and emotional support. To address these concerns, Duckworth wrote the book, You Are Not Alone: The NAMI Guide to Navigating Mental Health. Duckworth encourages parents to attend the NAMI Family-to-Family program — an 8-week group run by family members of people with mental illness — which offers education about topics such as effective communication, self-care, compassionate support of one’s family member, and locating resources. People can share what they’re going through and find emotional support. Kaufmann, whose story was told in the book, went to his first meeting of the group 25 years ago.
Posted on September 13, 2023
HealthDay
Among those who reported at least five of the seven healthy habits, the risk of depression was 57% lower, versus people who adhered to no more than one. Healthy habits appeared powerful -- guarding people against depression regardless of their genetic risk. The study findings do not prove cause-and-effect, but they are "compelling," said Dr. Ken Duckworth, NAMI CMO. He noted that the genetics of depression are complex and have not been "nailed down," so the risk scores assigned in this study have limitations. But the bottom-line message is a positive one, Duckworth said: "You're not helpless vis-a-vis your genes." Although the findings point to the power of having many healthy habits, Duckworth said that people can focus on the "small wins" each day. "Going for a walk in the park is doable for most people, even if they feel like they don't have the energy or the motivation," he said. Plus, small steps can lead to other changes: If you're more active, you might sleep better. "These things all build on each other," Duckworth said.
Posted on September 8, 2023
ABC News
The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline now offers American Sign Language services for the deaf and hard of hearing, SAMHSA announced. since the beginning, ASL services have been part of the vision for 988 and an important milestone, coming just after the first anniversary of 988. “Traditionally, we have seen that there are a lot more barriers to care for the deaf and hard of hearing community in accessing mental health services,” Hannah Wesolowski, NAMI CAO, told ABC News. “So seeing the video phone-enabled services being offered, I think it's going to be a huge improvement in making sure we're increasing access.” The Lifeline has offered teletypewriter, text and chat tools that are accessible for deaf and hard-of-hearing people, but Wesolowski noted that some of those options may not feel as personal for some users. “Being able to speak in the language that you are used to speaking in, and being able to do that via ASL I think will reach a broader part of the population,” Wesolowski added. “And the ASL video services certainly create another point of engagement, that I think better supports that access to care.”
Posted on September 3, 2023
CNN
Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the U.S., with nearly 50,000 deaths in 2021, according to the CDC. The rate of attempts is many times higher, said Dr. Ken Duckworth, NAMI CMO. A survivor once told Duckworth that she felt like an “emotional burn victim” and every part of her was tender and exposed. “What do you do with that person? You want them to feel better, but it’s going to be very difficult,” he said. One thing that makes the aftermath particularly hard is the feeling of shame that often accompanies surviving a suicide attempt, Duckworth said. Even without any stigma, there might be strong feelings around a suicide attempt such as anger, fear, sadness or confusion, Duckworth said. When it is time to start talking, you and the survivor can set expectations together, either one-on-one or with a therapist, Duckworth said. He recommended taking steps to help expand the survivor’s view of available resources. Support groups may be available to allow a person to talk about experiences with those who share similar ones. Even though you may feel like it, the attempt is not a failure of your love and support, Duckworth said. NAMI offers Family-to-family education courses, Duckworth said.
READ MOREPosted on September 30, 2022
US News & World Report
A new large-scale study analyzing a database of U.S. medical claims for more than 850,000 Americans found people on prescription folic acid had a 44% decreased likelihood of being treated for self-harm or a suicide attempt. Experts stressed that the new findings do not prove that folic acid reduces suicide risk, that will take a random clinical trial. When evaluating patients for depression, some mental health professionals order blood tests to measure folate, vitamin D and B12. "I do that all the time," said Dr. Christine Crawford, NAMI associate medical director. Given that folic acid is low risk, Crawford said patients already in treatment for depression could talk to their provider about adding the vitamin. "This is not something that should replace standard treatment for mental health conditions," Crawford said. "But it could be used in conjunction with it."
READ MOREPosted on September 29, 2022
Washington Post
In 2021 after two years of decline, the U.S. suicide rate resumed its upward climb, with young people and men hit hardest, according to CDC data. The 4% increase almost wiped-out modest decreases in previous years, with 47,646 suicides in 2021. During the pandemic in 2020, suicides declined, only to increase in 2021 with available COVID vaccines available and many people returning to their pre-covid lives. Experts say an explanation for the increase is still unclear. “The tale of this pandemic in terms of mental health is going to be many, many years to process,” said Hannah Wesolowski, NAMI CAO. The new data also revealed an unusual monthly pattern in 2021 with the largest increase in suicides occurring in October with 11% more than in 2020.
READ MOREPosted on September 28, 2022
CBS News
In August, there was a 45% increase of people contacting the 988 lifeline compared to August 2021 with more than 361,000 calls, texts and chats. According to HHS data, answer rates and wait times improved with 88% of calls, chats and texts getting through this August, compared to 67% in August 2021. Less than 2% of lifeline calls have led to the involvement of emergency services. But when police do get involved in mental health crisis situations, the results can be catastrophic. Hannah Wesolowski, NAMI CAO said that police can rapidly escalate a situation when a person is in the midst of a mental health crisis. "Somebody in crisis may not be able to understand or react to commands that law enforcement may be issuing," Wesolowski said. "This could be misread by law enforcement officers who don't have the same training a mobile crisis team may have." Wesolowski said many people involved with NAMI have used the 988 Lifeline and have expressed relief they got through to crisis counselors quickly and received help. "988 is one part of this process and an entry point, but we need more crisis response," Wesolowski said.
READ MOREPosted on September 26, 2022
Spotlight on America
CA: Suicide ideation
According to the NAMI, nearly 20% of high school students report serious thoughts about suicide and 9% report a suicide attempt. The goal is to bring more staffing into schools for kids in crisis and the need is dire for school psychologists alone. A big question remains – does funding solve the immediate problem? The answer, according to Hannah Wesolowski, NAMI CAO, is complicated. While the funding represents a ten-fold increase from past investments, Wesolowski said, the need that currently exists is unprecedented. Innovative ideas may be needed to scale up the workforce in the short-term including training non-professionals to deal with mental health issues. "I think we also need to consider other para-professionals who can fill the gap," Wesolowski said. “How can we provide better training to all school personnel? All teachers and school personnel should receive more training to be aware." Wesolowski also said loan forgiveness and repayment may help increase the potential workforce.
Posted on September 26, 2022
Psychology Today
For the column “Actionable Advice to Help Kids Thrive,” Ken Duckworth, NAMI CMO, shares his ‘Tip of the Week.’ He discusses motivational interviewing techniques to engage with teens. Motivational interviewing is a way of talking to someone who needs support but doesn’t want to be told what to do. It often produces better results for someone who doesn’t see the need for support. Applying motivational interviewing techniques can help parents talk to teens about mental health and encourage them to seek help when needed.
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NAMI HelpLine is available M-F, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. ET. Call 800-950-6264,
text “helpline” to 62640, or chat online. In a crisis, call or text 988 (24/7).
