Odds are that at some point in your life, you either have suffered from a mental illness or you will. Odds are even higher that someone you love either has suffered or is suffering in this regard. Mental illness is a lot like any other type of illness in that it requires treatment and professional intervention in order for the situation to improve. Unfortunately, these days too many people are in need of North Dakota mental health treatment. In addition, too many people facing this difficult circumstance are not getting help.

SoCal Empowered is an organization that provides people from every corner of the map with residential mental health treatment. We have facilities in Orange County, California and in Idaho Falls, Idaho. If you or a loved one is suffering and you’re not sure what to do about it, rest assured that you are far from alone with this struggle. We’re going to provide you some data below that relates to the state of mental health in North Dakota.

The best thing you can do if you’re ready to improve your life is make that first contact to find out more about your options. Mental illness will not simply get better on its own. Instead, you need to be proactive and bring the battle to this ruthless and relentless foe. You can succeed, but you need to commit yourself to success. We’re here to help, and we’re sure that when you see what’s happening in North Dakota, you’ll understand that it’s time to get moving on changing the way things are going for the public at large.

North Dakota Population Overview

The North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services publishes data relating to mental illness regularly. Its most recent report is available to the public. You can download it and review it in its entirety here. We’re going to present an overview of the information in order to provide some perspective on the scope of this public health concern.

The first relevant piece of information concerns the adult population. According to World Population Review, there are just under 589,000 adults living in North Dakota. We are mentioning this because we are going to provide some percentages that exist in the North Dakota HHS report and then break those down into raw numbers.

North Dakota Suicide Statistics

The first mental health issue we want to feature is the most serious: suicidal ideation and suicide. Regardless of the underlying mental illness, there is obviously no greater risk and no more permanent a result than suicide. According to the North Dakota HHS:

1. 6.45 percent of North Dakota adults had thoughts of suicide in the year prior to this survey, which was completed in March of 2023.
2. That equates to over 38,000 people who experienced suicidal ideation during that timeframe.
3. 153 adults died by suicide during that year.
4. 61 percent of the people who took their own lives were between 20 and 49 years old.

North Dakota Mental Illness Statistics

The North Dakota HHS offered several troubling statistics regarding the mental health of adults in the state. Below you’ll find 5 of them.

1. 12.6 percent of adults reported that their mental health was not good for at least 14 of the previous 30 days.
2. Nearly 26 percent of adults reported having suffered from at least one mental illness during the previous year.
3. 10 percent of adults reported suffering from a major depressive episode during the previous year.
4. More than 7 percent of adults suffered from a serious mental illness during the prior year.
5. Nearly 20 percent of adults in North Dakota did receive mental health treatment during the previous 12 months.

Why North Dakota Mental Health Treatment Is Critically Important

Given all the data we presented above, we’re going to tie the population data together with the mental illness information. When viewed in this manner, it should be clear just how serious a problem this is for the entire state.

First, here are the top 10 cities in North Dakota based on population:

1. Fargo – 133,188
2. Bismarck – 75,092
3. Grand Forks – 58,921
4. Minot – 47,373
5. West Fargo – 40,400
6. Williston – 27,706
7. Dickinson – 25,130
8. Mandan – 24,586
9. Jamestown – 15,691
10. Wahpeton – 8,000

Why is it so important for people who are suffering to seek and obtain North Dakota mental health treatment? Consider the following comparisons:

1. The number of adults who experienced suicidal ideation in the year prior to this survey, if they lived in one community, would comprise the 6^th largest city in the state.
2. More than 153,000 adults suffered through some type of mental illness during that timeframe. That would be 20,000 more people than the largest city in the state.
3. Nearly 59,000 people endured a major depressive episode. Only Fargo and Bismarck have larger populations.
4. More than 41,000 people suffered through a serious mental illness. That’s roughly the equivalent of the population of West Fargo.

How SoCal Empowered Can Help

Perhaps worst of all is the number of people in North Dakota who live in communities underserved by mental health professionals. According to NAMI, or the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 302,985 people in North Dakota live in a community that does not have enough mental health professionals to meet demand.

Far too many people who need North Dakota mental health treatment are not getting it. SoCal Empowered can help. Our locations in Orange County, California and in Idaho Falls, Idaho are options for treatment. On average, people come to stay with us for 30 – 45 days. We work with several national and regional insurance carriers on an in-network basis. We also accept insurance from other providers on an out-of-network basis.

All you need to do is contact us. If we think a stay with us is the best next step, we will deal with your insurance company for you to determine benefits and coverage. If not, we will help you find the right resource.

Call us today to start getting back to the happy and healthy life you deserve.