People who suffer from illnesses often feel alone with their struggles. It’s common for someone in this position to think that no one could possibly understand what they are going through. This is particularly true when it comes to mental illness, as there are generally no physical symptoms and there is an unfortunate stigma attached to these diseases. All of that means that far too many people who would otherwise benefit from Minnesota mental health treatment are not getting it. There are other reasons for this problem as well.

SoCal Empowered is an organization that’s home to several residential mental health treatment facilities. We have two locations in Orange County, California and another in Idaho Falls, Idaho. So, why would someone looking for Minnesota mental health treatment travel to one of these facilities? There are several potential benefits in doing so, and we’ll discuss those below.

First, we’re going to delve into some extremely troubling data with regards to Minnesota mental health. If you or a loved one is suffering, then it may help you to understand that you are very far from alone in this battle. Thousands of people across the state face this ruthless foe every day, and our hope is that you get the help you need as soon as possible.

Minnesota Mental Health Statistics

The National Alliance on Mental Illness, or NAMI, is an organization that provides mountains of freely accessible data relating to mental illness in the United States. NAMI breaks it down by state, and below we’re going to lay out a handful of statistics relating to Minnesota mental health:

1. More than 37 percent of adults in Minnesota reported symptoms of anxiety or depression in February of 2021.
2. 184,000 adults in Minnesota suffered from what is known as a serious mental illness, which describes an illness that interferes with daily life and routines.
3. 195,000 adults in Minnesota experienced suicidal ideation between 2021 and 2022.
4. 739 people in Minnesota took their own lives during this same timeframe.
5. Nearly 1.8 million people in Minnesota live in a community that is underserved by mental health professionals, meaning that there are not enough providers there to properly serve their nearby communities’ needs.

If you’d like to review the full NAMI report on Minnesota mental health, you can find it here.

Minnesota and Depression

Another organization, the United Health Foundation, publishes different types of data relating to mental illness. One of their reports focuses on depression, which along with anxiety is one of the most common mental health challenges that people face. According to its report, 23.5 percent of adults in Minnesota stated that a mental health professional had told them that they suffered from depressive disorder, including depression, major depression, minor depression or dysthymia at least once in their lifetimes. That ranked 35^th out of all 50 states, meaning that only 15 states had higher rates of depression.

The report also reveals how the rate of depression in Minnesota is rising, and in 2022 it surpassed the national average (circle indicates Minnesota rate):

(Source: CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System and United Health Foundation)

Given that approximately 3.4 million adults live in Minnesota, that means that approximately 800,000 people experienced depression in 2022 alone.

A Numerical Perspective on Minnesota Mental Health

Sometimes, putting things in numerical perspective helps to internalize the scope of something. We think that’s definitely true with respect to Minnesota mental health. Below you’ll find the 10 most populous cities in Minnesota:

1. Minneapolis – 425,115
2. St. Paul – 303,820
3. Rochester – 122,413
4. Duluth – 87,680
5. Bloomington – 87,398
6. Brooklyn Park – 82,017
7. Woodbury – 79,538
8. Plymouth – 77,648
9. Lakeville – 76,243
10. Blaine – 73,774

Using these numbers as reference points, we can see the following:

1. Regardless of which statistic you use regarding depression, if you moved all of the adults who have suffered from it into one community, it would immediately become the largest city in the state.
2. The number of people in Minnesota whose communities are underserved by mental health professionals is greater than the populations of all of the top 10 cities in the state combined.
3. The number of people suffering from a serious mental illness is greater than the populations of all the cities in Minnesota except for the Twin Cities.

These are obviously extremely troubling numbers. Far too many people need Minnesota mental health treatment and are not getting it for one reason or another.

Get Away From It All

Humans are creatures of routine. We are all busy. Every one of us has responsibilities that can include work, family, children and several other duties that never really go away. That’s one of the reasons that it can be difficult for people to obtain Minnesota mental health treatment, as it’s easy to tell yourself that you don’t have time for it. Getting local treatment can also increase anxiety, as the stigma attached to mental illness still exists.

Getting away from your routine and your everyday life can help you avoid these problems. If you travel specifically for treatment, then you won’t have to worry about that daily routine. You can also rest easy that you will not be stigmatized in a place where no one knows who you are or what you’re doing there.

Finally, taking a “time-out” from life can also help you focus in on what you need to do to get better. That’s the bottom line, after all.

How SoCal Empowered Can Help

If you are ready to explore the possibility of mental health treatment for yourself or a loved one, the first thing you should do is contact us. We will listen to your situation and help you find the right resource, whether that includes a stay with us or not. If staying with us is the best course of action, we will deal directly with your insurance company for you to define benefits. We are in-network with several carriers, and we also work with several others on an out-of-network basis.

It all starts with that first conversation, though. Contact us today to take that all-important first step towards restored happiness and peace of mind.