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There is always a story about drug overdose and substance abuse deaths in the news these days. All genders, races and ages are represented among the victims. The CDC reports that 106,699 people died from drug overdoses in 2020-2021. In September 2022, Jacksonville police reported a drug bust in an amount capable of killing 1.5 million people.

Sadly, so many of our teens and young adults are affected. Health records show that one in seven Americans aged 12 or older has experienced substance use disorder.

Although we have laws, policies and strategies to resist this situation, it still persists, but preventive methods aimed at young adults are great ways to confront this problem head-on. A wise saying quotes “prevention is better than cure.” By preventing this health issue, we could save lives, communities and money.

Some preventive methods for teens include:

Enlighten them on substance abuse
Programs that inform teens about the harms of drugs, alcohol abuse and illegal prescription use, should be offered to them. These programs would correct wrong ideas they have about substance abuse. In addition, the harmful effects will be explained to them. These programs can be organized in schools or community centers and can be done in an interactive setting where young adults are encouraged to share their views.

Create easy access to mental health support
Teens turn to substance abuse when they go through stressful situations. Divorce, bullying and academic challenges are just some of the issues experienced by teens, challenges that can make them seek relief in drugs. Having a great support system to counsel them will be very helpful and young adults should have easy access to mental health experts.

Read more at Jacksonville.com.

For Army veteran Michele Johnson, it’s during breath, body and soul classes at the Albany Stratton VA where she finds peace.

“It brings you to be present in the moment because … as someone with PTSD and anxiety, I tend to worry about the past and the future and not stay in the moment,” said Johnson. “So by doing the mindfulness and the meditation that the VA provides, it’s able to ground me and to stay present in the moment and be grateful for that, because otherwise I’d go back to traveling, to thinking in my mind all life is so bad because all the past things that have happened to me versus I’m in a really good space right now and life is good.”

She can remember when life wasn’t this good.

“I was in a very dark place having lived with PTSD for over 40 years with no treatment,” said Johnson.

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, fewer than 50% of returning veterans in need receive any mental health treatment. The 2021 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report shows that approximately 17 veterans died by suicide every day in 2019.

In 2013, 20 years after leaving the military, Johnson met with her gynecologist, who she trusted enough to share her personal struggles.

“Michelle is just one of the stars of our program because when you inquire, you don’t just like take care of a person’s medical needs,” said Dr. Suzanne Mesidor, lead gynecologist. “You want to find out what shapes them. Why are they what influences their life outside of the VA, outside of medical care?”

With that holistic approach to health, Johnson was introduced to the VA’s mental health services. She joined mindfulness, chi-gong, breath, body and soul classes.

“I give all the credit to the veterans,” said Clinical Social Worker Mary Beth DeSario. “We wouldn’t be here if they didn’t take the courage to show up and walk through the door and that can be some of the hardest things to do when you’re told in the military, push on, keep going, you get a profile if you disclose anything that’s going on, then to trust that this system, that the VA is going to take care of them, that we’re going to protect them, that we’re going to support them.”

Read more at SpectrumLocalNews.com.

SAMHSA’s Office of Behavioral Health Equity is conducting the Behavioral Health Equity Challenge: Outreach and Engagement Strategies for Underserved Racial and Ethnic Communities. The goal of this challenge is to identify and highlight community-based organization (CBO) outreach and engagement strategies that increase access to behavioral health (mental health and/or substance use) services for racial and ethnic underserved communities. As CBOs are the primary participants for the Behavioral Health Equity Challenge, they often have an important role in addressing the needs of their community members. This challenge allows participants to share their innovative strategies to help underserved racial and ethnic communities access behavioral health services.

The Challenge fund has $500,000 available for up to ten awards through this competition. Four awards will be dedicated to the winning strategies that address mental health, three will be dedicated to the winning strategies that address substance use prevention, and three will be dedicated to the winning strategies that address substance use treatment. The challenge prize for each winner is expected to be $50,000 plus multiple opportunities for recognition. Submissions will be accepted until June 8, 2023 at 5 pm EST.

SAMHSA aims to learn the following from the behavioral health community:

• What challenges have you faced in connecting people from underserved racial and ethnic communities to behavioral health services?
• What outreach and engagement strategies or innovative methods have you used to connect people from underserved racial and ethnic communities to behavioral health services?
• How do you know your outreach and engagement strategies are successful? How do you measure your success?
• How do you incorporate equity into your outreach and engagement strategies?

Learn more about this Challenge!

In order to highlight pockets of excellence across the country, the NNED selects a partner organization to highlight once a month. The Southeast Asian Development Center has been selected as the Partner of the Month for May in celebration of National Mental Health Month and Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

The Southeast Asian Development Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to lifting children, youth, and families from Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam out of poverty. Its services are structured around providing low-income and vulnerable Southeast Asian Americans with basic needs, mental health services, and skills critical to building successful futures.

Some of the programs and services that are currently offered:

• Asian Youth Prevention Services
• Southeast Asian Mental Health Initiative
• Housing Support Services
• Linguistically and Culturally Competent Safety Training

Learn more about the Southeast Asian Development Center and its mission to foster a healthy, thriving, and self-sufficient Southeast Asian American community.

View a list of previous NNED Partners of the Month.

Symptoms of depression increased in young, low-income Latinx adults during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a study by the Center for Environmental Research and Children’s Health at UC Berkeley School of Public Health. In contrast, symptoms of anxiety decreased overall – but rose when there was arguing in the home or other pandemic-related stressors.

The study analyzed data from 309 young adults, aged 18 to about 20 and predominantly of Mexican origin. Researchers compared the mental health of young adults before March 2020 with data collected in June 2021 to determine if their mental health worsened during the pandemic. Participants answered questions about economic, educational, and social stressors and were assessed for symptoms of anxiety and depression. The results revealed an increase in depressive symptoms in general, while exploratory analyses suggested women may be more vulnerable to pandemic stressors.

“There has been a lot of interest in how the pandemic affected the mental health of the US population,” said Julianna Deardorff, associate professor of maternal, child, and adolescent health at Berkeley Public Health. “However, few longitudinal studies have focused on young adults, particularly those from historically marginalized backgrounds, who were likely experiencing multiple stressors simultaneously.”

Read more at PublicHealth.Berkeley.edu.

We need to discuss perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) and their effect on maternal mental health. This is a leading complication for pregnant and postpartum women, with 1 in 7 experiencing these issues. However, for me, as a Black woman, the rates are even higher. Studies show that 40 percent of Black birthing people experience maternal mental health symptoms. Yet, despite how common these issues are, Black women are less likely to receive treatment due to various barriers, including stigma, fear and low availability of services staffed by Black providers.

It’s time that the healthcare system recognizes the critical importance of mental health during the first 1,000 days of a child’s life, including the emotional, psychological and physical stress that birthing people endure. Unfortunately, these issues often go unaddressed, and after giving birth, Black women are sent home with a new little person who needs them when they often are without the support they need for ourselves.

Racism and discrimination complicate this issue further. As a result, Black women often go unheard, from our pain in childbirth to mental health and physical conditions postpartum. We need more Black birth workers and mental health providers who understand our unique challenges. Healthcare leaders should be training pediatricians to check in with birthing people during appointments, starting within a week of their child’s birth. Finally, local capacity to care for Black mothers and birthing people must increase.

Read more at NewsOne.com.