Page 10 - Healthcare News Jan/Feb 2023

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CONT’D
The stigma is especially high among men and the elderly. Males make up 49% of the population, but nearly 80% of suicides, and people over age 85 have the highest rates of suicide among all age categories (20.86 per 100,000 individuals).
Mental health for older generations has been seen as taboo and a topic that shouldn’t be discussed; it is often looked down upon negatively. And displaying emotions of sadness or asking for help is often seen as a weakness amongst men.
But in order to combat the mental-health epi- demic that was worsened by the pandemic, a more positive light needs to be shined on the importance of getting help and treatment when necessary. And that starts with a conversation.
It’s OK to Ask for Help
The first step to destigmatizing suicide and sui- cidal ideation is to talk about it.
“Often you’ll hear people say, ‘I have asthma,’ or
‘I have diabetes.’ And it’s not anything that people would think twice about sharing,” Rivera said. “But someone struggling with severe depression or anxiety or maybe bipolar schizophrenia, those are things that are a little bit more difficult to speak about. The more people normalize and talk about their diagnosis, the more welcoming as a community we will become.”
One positive from the pandemic was the rise of telehealth communication, allowing people to talk to a licensed therapist or behavioral-health special- ist over video-chat platforms. It allowed them to
connect from the comfort of their homes, making it easier to talk about what they’re going through.
strategies for encouraging motivation and engage- ment in treatment.
MHA, BHN, and MiraVista all offer outpatient treatment programs; BHN and MiraVista specialize
Another option is the Behavioral Health Help Line created this year through the state Department of Mental Health and oper-
ated by the Massachu-
“
setts Behavioral Health
Partnership. Meanwhile,
Community Behavioral
Health Centers (see story
on page 12) offer imme-
diate care for mental-
health and substance-use
needs, both in crisis situa-
tions and more routine
settings. Crisis services
are available around the
clock for anyone in Mas-
sachusetts experiencing a
potential mental-health emergency and are entirely insurance-blind, meaning anyone can access services, regardless of insurance coverage.
If therapy, medications, and traditional services aren’t working, people have the chance to participate in outpatient and inpatient treatment programs.
Outpatient programs are structured, non-residen- tial, psychological day programs that address mental- health disorders and substance-use disorders that
do not require detoxification through a combination of group-based psychotherapy, individual psycho- therapy, family counseling, educational groups, and
A lot of times, if you see somebody who is more irritated or gets angry
more easily than usual, then those
are typically signs that somebody might be going through something and they just haven’t talked about it with somebody.”
RENÉ PIÑERO
in adolescent mental-health programs as well.
“It is very important from a young age to speak
about feelings and how we cope with them. Giving people different tools to be able to cope with those feelings is important,” Rivera explained. “There is such a need in this area, and that’s one of the reasons why we wanted to open that unit.”
Inpatient treatment programs are the most inten- sive level of treatment for individuals suffering from mental health and addictive disorders. It offers 24- hour care in a safe and secure facility, making it best for patients with severe mental-health or substance-
March is National Brain Injury Awareness Month
BFAIR has partnered with Greylock Federal Credit Union to educate and create awareness about brain health and safety.
Visit our website and social media for great resources.
413.664.9382 www.bfair.org
771 South Church St North Adams, MA 01247
We’re Here for You.
Care when and how you need it.
At home, in your community, at our clinic, and/or via telehealth.
Serving children, youth, adults, and families dealing with mental health and substance use challenges.
413-301-WELL (9355)
24-Hour Crisis Line: 413-733-6661 Visit bhninc.org for more information
417 Liberty St. Springfield, MA | 77 Mill St. Westfield, MA
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