The National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD) joins the national movement to raise awareness on the importance of mental health. Millions of adults and children across America experience mental health conditions, including anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Good mental health is essential to our overall health, and the importance of attending to mental health has become even more critical during the pandemic, which has not only negatively impacted many people with disabilities’ mental health but has also created new obstacles.
This year, like last, has had immeasurable effects on our communities and their mental health status. We continue to see the ramifications of the pandemic both in the short- and long-term effects on how we all are dealing with it. As people prepare now to re-enter community after months of staying at home, many are experiencing heightened anxiety and fear because of COVID-19 and racial and political unrest that has swept our nation.
- Nearly 1 in 5 American adults will have a diagnosable mental health condition in any given year. [Source]
- 46 percent of Americans will meet the criteria for a diagnosable mental health condition sometime in their life, and half of those people will develop conditions by the age of 14. [Source]
NACDD believes that mental health – now more than ever – needs to be put in the forefront of the conversation. We encourage all individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, their families, and caregivers to have important conversations during the month of May about mental health and to seek support and help when needed.
