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Basic Research Has Had a Major Impact on Developing New Treatments for Serious Mental Illnesses
Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide, with an estimated $2 trillion annual economic impact. The cost in terms of human suffering is, of course, incalculable. Each year about 8% of adults—nearly 20 million Americans—experience major depression; 8% of adolescents experience at...
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Outcome of Schizophrenia in Later Life: Conceptual Changes and Implications for Treatment and Policy
In tandem with the greying of the general population, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of older adults with schizophrenia (OAS). Since 2000, there has been a doubling of persons aged 55 and over with schizophrenia and they now comprise about one-fourth of all persons with...
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Safe Options Support: Charting a Path to Stability for Homeless Individuals through Coordinated Care
A transformative shift is underway for New York City programs focused on helping homeless individuals. Instead of relying on a singular approach to homeless outreach, new initiatives and adaptations are reshaping and diversifying the community-based services available. This remodeled,...
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Suicide in Adolescents: Warning Signs, Risk Factors, and What Parents Can Do to Support Their Teens
Suicidality can affect all age groups, including during the adolescent years (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, 2023). The CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health (2023) reported data concerning U.S. high school students’...
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Why Personalized Recovery-Oriented Services (PROS) Works: Achieving Independence and Fulfillment
The deinstitutionalization of the mentally ill in New York State some 50 years ago had a clear goal: To create accessible and adequate housing and support programs to allow people to live independently in the community, to work toward recovery and a full and productive life outside a psychiatric...
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The Mental Health Association of Westchester’s Intensive and Sustained Engagement Team (INSET)
Anyone involved in the mental health system, whether an individual diagnosed with a behavioral health condition, family member, or practitioner of services, knows that there is pervasive stigma in our country concerning mental health. Although the COVID pandemic has brought increased attention to...
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Recovery: Realizing Hopes and Dreams
We must ensure that individuals living with mental illness have the opportunity to fulfill their hopes and dreams. To do so, all the systems and services we design must support the ability for individuals living with mental illness to thrive in their own community and reach their personal goals. We...
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Shame and Hunger: Breaking the Stigma Through Lived Experiences
In the United States, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that 33.8 million Americans are food insecure. These individuals do not have access to enough food to meet the needs of their household; thus, they must employ various coping strategies to stretch the food they can acquire. Yet,...
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Working with Newly Arrived Asylum Seekers: A Firsthand Look
New York Psychotherapy and Counseling Center (NYPCC) has been working with newly arrived immigrants since inception in 1974. With the majority of our clinicians bi-lingual, we pride ourselves in meeting the mental health needs of our Latinx population through a culture lens. It’s one thing to...
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Art: A Tool for Breaking Stigma
While the reasons for stigma around mental illness are complex and vary by community – we know its prevalence prevents many from seeking treatment – from finding help and building a better life. At the Institute for Community Living (ICL), we offer an array of support services for people...
