DES MOINES, Iowa — Since 1990, the first week of October has been recognized as Mental Illness Awareness Week across the United States.
It also recognizes long-standing efforts by the National Alliance on Mental Illness to end the stigma around mental health and help people receive the treatment they need.
As the executive director of NAMI Iowa, Peggy Huppert has seen firsthand just how many people are struggling in 2023.
“We’ve seen rates of anxiety and depression double and triple," Huppert told Local 5. "Among Americans, suicide rates have increased significantly. We've never seen anything analogous to this."
And though more people are seeking help for mental health issues, Huppert believes a stigma remains.
Across the country, NAMI estimates that 1 in 5 Americans experience a mental illness each year. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, experts like Huppert believe that number could be growing, especially in children and teens.
Dr. Stephen Mandler is the chief medical officer at Orchard Place, a nonprofit that provides mental health treatment for children in Iowa.
"This year, 2023, has been one of the worst we’ve seen," Mandler said. "And we think it has likely downstream effects."
Mandler agrees with Huppert that social consequences discourage people from opening up about their struggles.
“Because there is a social stigma, people avoid getting mental health treatment," he added.
But Mandler said there is some good news: Today, available treatment options for mental illnesses are extensive.
“We want to move away from this idea that you’re defective in some way, because these are things that all humans share," Mandler said.
From inpatient therapy to medication, experts want people to know that those with mental illness, are never alone.
“Please don’t be afraid of it," Huppert told Local 5. "Reach out, seek help and you will be the better for it."
For a full list of mental health resources and treatment options across the state of Iowa, visit NAMI Iowa's website.