SHAKEN, STIRRED AND BLENDED · 10:30AM, at our community: 20240 N. 78th Ave., Glendale, AZ 85308 Workshops are filling quickly. RSVP at (623) 748-0231. To learn more about the workshops

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AZCENTRAL.COM I FRIDAY, 06.07.19 I Z3 7

Arizona can do better to boost mental healthYour TurnKristen RayGuest columnist

It’s 2019, and the stigma of mental ill­ness still lingers.

Many people have been conditioned by TV and movies to imagine people with mental illness as being affected by severe psychopathy. Mental health treatment centers are characterized as "insane asylums," "psych wards" and straitjackets, which is wildly unrealistic and inaccurate.

Mental illness is also routinely cited as a "cause" of violent behavior, even though a small number of individuals with serious mental illnesses commit acts of violence.

Individuals who are not being treated commit almost all of these acts; many of them also abusing alcohol or drugs. In reality, many mental health disorders actually increase the risk of becoming

victims of violence and abuse. A 2016 study by the Treatment Advocacy Cen­ter concludes:

I Most individuals with serious mental illness are not dangerous.

I Most acts of violence are commit­ted by individuals who are not mentally ill.

I Being a young male or a substance abuser (alcohol or drugs) is a greater risk factor for violent behavior than be­ing mentally ill.

The biggest correlation between acts of violence and mental health disor­ders? Lack of treatment.

Arizona ranks 30th among all states in overall health status, so we have a lot of room for improvement.

Recent statistics from Arizona’s State Health Assessment also under­score why we must change our ap­proach to treating mental illness. For in­stance, in 2015 and 2016, more than 20% of Arizonans age 18-25 reported having some form of mental illness in the past year. Only half of these individuals ever received any kind of treatment for their

mental illness.In 2017, 36.4% of Arizona high school

students reported feeling sad/hopeless almost every day for two weeks in a row to the extent that they stopped doing usual activities.

This is higher than the national esti­mate of 31.5%. High school students also reported higher rates of attempted suicide (11.3%) in the past 12 months compared with 7.4% nationally. Be­cause suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the nation, it’s clear that we must do better.

Maintaining good mental health is not limited to seeing a therapist, relying on pills and openly discussing mental illness. For instance, children and adults can learn to implement practices like mindfulness, building strong rela­tionships with peers and family mem­bers, and mental reframing in order to promote good mental health, and com­bat against mental illnesses and stereo­types.

And yes, maintaining good mental health is an ongoing process. Making

small changes to one’s daily routine can help to improve mood and increase self­esteem. Surrounding yourself with a supportive social circle can help reduce anxiety and divert your attention from thoughts that cause you stress.

We must shift the way people per­ceive mental health and address the need for real access to mental health care.

While talking about mental illness can be uncomfortable, people can ease the conversation by being mindful of their attitudes about mental health and their behavior toward those who have a mental illness. Let’s keep the conversa­tion going to foster acceptance and un­derstanding of mental illnesses and en­courage people to feel comfortable seek­ing help.

Dr. Kristen Ray, DBH, LPC, is the vice president of behavioral health at Bay- less Integrated Healthcare. For more in­formation about Ray and Bayless Inte­grated Healthcare, please visit www.baylesshealthcare.com.

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ONE SONG BRINGS BACK1,000 MEMORIES.

Join us Tuesdays and Thursdays in June for Music & Memory Workshops, 10:30AM, at our community: 20240 N. 78th Ave., Glendale, AZ 85308

Workshops are filling quickly. RSVP at (623) 748-0231. To learn more about the workshops and our community, please visit lnspiraArrowhead.com.