The National Institute of Mental Health counts mental illnesses among common maladies not just in the U.S., but around the world, estimating that as much as 23% of the adult U.S. population faces mental challenges.
Approximately 53 million Americans are family caregivers, providing varying degrees of support to relatives and loved ones because of disease, disability or simple frailty.
Last October, the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and Otsuka America Pharmaceutical did a study that concluded that if family caregiving was a business, “it would be the largest revenue-generating company in the world,” providing $873.5 billion worth of labor each year. Close to 40% of that is due to Alzheimer’s disease or dementia care, though only a quarter of those caregivers face that particular challenge.
Neurodiversity, addiction, aging and mental health are all issues with some challenges where families may find they need some help or suggestions or simply access to a support group.
A few weeks ago, a team of Deseret News reporters set out to explore some of the issues impacting families across that spectrum of issues. Today, we offer those stories with links in case you missed them earlier.
Neurodiversity:
The importance of sensory awareness with autism
Learning disorders and decades of progress
Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and new approaches
Aging:
Why caregivers can’t do it all alone
Aging well: preserving your brain with food, exercise and sleep
What we’re learning about Alzheimer’s disease
Mental health:
Anxiety and depression are very, very old problems
How states are tackling social media and smartphone use in schools
What do you do with debilitating fear?
Addictions:
Healing addiction through power of community, compassion and hope.