South Carolina Named One The Top 10 Worst States For Mental Health Care

As a society, we have done a good job at prioritizing and more importantly decreasing the stigma around mental health. The subject is nowhere near as taboo as it once was.

But there is still a lot that needs to be done regarding the subject. And one of the biggest challenges involves making mental health care accessible to those who need it. Honestly, everyone could probably benefit from it. But more many many people they simply can't afford to seek it out.

According to Mental Health America, more than half of adults with a mental illness (54.7%) do not receive any treatment for it. Additionally more than one in four (28.2%) do not receive adequate treatment,

Clearly, securing access to affordable mental health treatment is a challenge for Americans nationwide. This is why our friends at Forbes Advisor set out to learn more about this struggle, and where it is the most prevalent.

What makes accessing mental health care more challenging in different locations? Factors like high costs, note enough treatment centers, and (the big one in my opinion) a lack of health insurance coverage.

To find out the states that provide the worst access to mental health care, Forbes Advisor compared all 50 states and Washington, D.C., across seven key metrics. And South Carolina ranked in the 10 worst states.

The Palmetto State ranked as the 8th worst state for mental health care. They received a score of 62.76 out of 100. This was substantially due to the state having the fewest mental health treatment centers per 10,000 businesses nationwide.

They also have over 77% of youth who report having depression but are not receiving care which is the highest percentage in the country.

And 29% of South Carolinians struggle with mental health but cannot see a doctor due to the cost. This is the 7th highest percentage nationwide.

All of these numbers are extremely concerning. Mental health care should be covered under preventative care and available at low cost or no cost through insurance to every American.

Thanks to our friends at Forbes Advisor for sharing their research with us. You can read the full study here.

Employees are working longer hours than they ever have, and the effects are starting to show.

Higher absentee levels, abandoned vacation time, and reduced productivity are all byproducts of an overtaxed workforce. Prioritizing mental health has taken on new relevance in today’s corporate world, though many wonder how to do this amid strict deadlines, unmanageable workloads, and overbooked personal lives.

Many companies have begun integrating policies to support a healthy work-life balance, indicating an acknowledgment that the most productive employees are often the most supported and least burnt out. These initiatives include robust wellness programs and educational offerings or expanded staffing to manage bandwidths.

But even if your employer hasn't rolled out programs like these, there are simple steps each of us can take to protect our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Patient-driven telehealth company Ro compiled a list of 10 ways employees can prioritize their mental health while working, using information from health experts, human resource managers, and counselors.

These simple steps are designed to help prevent some of the major side effects of increased workloads and unending workdays, whether anxiety and stress or depression. Keep reading to learn more about setting clear boundaries and carving out time for yourself during every workday.

In a survey of 7,500 full-time employees, a full 44% reported feeling burned out sometimes while nearly a quarter reported feeling burned out always or often, according to a 2018 Gallup study. Limits and boundaries in the workplace are especially important for those who work from home, as the lines between work and home life often blur.

Setting boundaries can be as simple as making sure not to connect your phone to your work email or to avoid checking work emails between certain evening hours to shift focus to family or personal time. Realizing when and how to delegate responsibilities is also a necessity when boundary-setting.

Breaks are an important way to recharge during the workday, and no break is more important than the lunch hour (or half-hour). A Tork survey released in 2021 found that nearly 40% of workers take breaks occasionally, rarely, or never. There's a major gender divide, too: Women are twice as likely as men to not take breaks during the workday.

Many say they feel guilty stepping away, but the benefits of a lunch break are clear and include an increase in productivity, a boost to creativity, and a reduction in stress. Not taking lunch breaks can actually have a negative impact on employees and employers.

Not only does learning to say no help to set boundaries and limits, but it also helps to prioritize essential work tasks. Employees often overextend themselves at work by saying yes to everything, which can lead to burnout.

Those who have trouble saying no are more likely to suffer from burnout, stress, and depression, according to research from the University of California in San Francisco in 2013. With so much work and so little time, employees have to learn that saying no can not only be OK—it can be one of the most effective ways to prioritize mental health at work.

Some tips to saying no properly include being polite and brief, but firm; being honest; offering an alternative; and remembering that saying no does not make you a lazy or bad employee.

Many corporate workplaces have gyms or offer weekly workout classes like yoga. For those who work from home, there are apps featuring everything from tai chi to five-minute power workouts, and many offer free trials.

Sitting behind a desk is a sedentary activity, and lack of movement has all sorts of negative effects on not just physical health, but mental health as well. Being sedentary can increase the odds of depression and elevate anxiety levels. Doing a workout is not the only way to incorporate movement into your workday—taking a brief walk around the block works just as well.

The same research found that those who plan their vacations use more vacation time to travel and are happier in several areas, including their personal relationships and overall well-being. Either way, vacation time is an important way to recharge and find enjoyment outside of the workplace.

Bringing a small lamp from home or a few favorite books to display and read on your lunch break offers a way to make office surroundings more comfortable. Inspiring quotes, color-coded accessories, family pictures, or a plant can all help to boost creativity and productivity while elevating your mood and making your workspace feel more like home.

While co-workers don’t have to be best friends, it is important to foster positive relationships at work. Those who engage in small talk perform better on cognitive tests and showed an increase in executive functioning, according to a study published in 2010 by researchers at the University of Michigan.

Whether making small talk when getting that morning cup of coffee or chatting up a colleague while waiting for the 4 p.m. conference call to begin, having a brief discussion can bolster mood and even serve as a small break from the monotony of the workday. Establishing workplace relationships can improve overall quality of life according to a study conducted by Globoforce and published in 2014. That study also found that having a work friend increased workers’ commitment to their employer.

There are several advantages to throwing on the radio or streaming a well-thought-out playlist at work. Listening to music helps with focus, absorption of information, reduces stress and anxiety, and boosts mood, all of which help to improve mental health. It also stimulates creativity and brings an increase in productivity, though not all music is good for all types of work.

Popular music may interfere with complicated tasks, while classical music can help with focus. One important rule to remember when it comes to listening to music is that not everyone has the same taste. Avoid upsetting co-workers by bringing in earbuds to listen at a respectful volume.

Whether it’s a professional development course offered online or through your workplace or a college course your company will reimburse, continuing education opportunities keep the mind sharp and help sustain interest at work by offering additional knowledge. This increase in knowledge often offers opportunities for advancement.

Approximately 50% of employers offer some type of undergraduate assistance, and 53% offer assistance for graduate degrees, according to a 2017 Employee Benefits Survey by the Society for Human Resource Management. Many companies have corporate accounts with online services like Coursera, which provides educational enrichment through online courses and certifications. To figure out what companies offer, employees should reach out to human resources.

Studies have shown that clutter can contribute to heightened anxiety and stress, decreased productivity, and feelings of losing control. A few minutes a day devoted to organization can work wonders in the workplace, and filing systems don’t have to be complex to be effective.

The effects of clutter on the body and mind are so significant that they can even cause people to overindulge in food and create other unhealthy habits. An Express Employment Professionals study found that disorganization causes significant loss of actual work time, with 57% of participants admitting to losing six work hours per week due to disorganization.