Healthy Women: Mental Health Awareness Month
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- May is Mental Health Awareness Month and our State is facing an unprecedented mental health crisis. It's devastating young people, those from every background, but especially working women.
Mental health issues affect men and women differently and disproportionately. According to a 2022 Harris Poll Data report commissioned by CVS Health, 42% of working mothers have been diagnosed with anxiety and/or depression.
For working fathers, those numbers show 35% have been diagnosed with anxiety and/or depression and for workers without kids that number stands at 25%.
"A lot of people are struggling with their mental health nowadays no matter the month," says mental health author Stan Popovitch.
In the past, Popovitch has struggled with his own fear and anxiety for years before taking pen to paper, offering up advice that has helped him. He acknowledges working women and moms and understands they tend to have a lot on their plate. He claims staying one step ahead can improve a busy and stressful day.
"It is important to plan ahead and try to stay organized and keep up to date on everything if you can, that way you'll be able to reduce your stress and anxiety," says Popovich. "Try and find ways to manage your anxiety so you don't get stressed out and try and get others to help you."
Nationwide, suicide deaths increased from almost 46,000 in 2020 to just over 48,000 in 2021, according to recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. The State of Colorado ranks among the top 10 states that have the highest suicide rates in the country, with 1,384 deaths by suicide reported in 2021.
"If you find that you are getting stressed out or you are always anxious or worried, you have to maybe acknowledge that you are having a problem with your mental health; and if that becomes an issue and affects your normal daily living, then it is probably really important that you try and talk to a counselor to be able to get some mental health advice on how to manage your mental health," says Popovich.
