ADANTA - The Importance of Mental Health History
By Tracie R . Horton , CEO / Executive Director The Adanta Group
Knowing your family health history is important . Family health history is a record of the diseases and health conditions that run in your family . Most people have a family health history of at least one chronic disease such as cancer , heart disease or diabetes . If you have a close family member with chronic disease , you may be more likely to develop that disease yourself . Being at higher risk for a condition because of family history applies to mental health as well . In fact , knowing about your family ’ s mental health history is just as important as your physical health history , but sometimes that information is more difficult to come by .
Mental health has often been stigmatized – it is simply not something that was openly discussed in many families . It may be uncomfortable or a source of shame for some . Unfortunately , in some families seeking help was and may still be unheard of . However , changing times means that more people are open to admitting they may be struggling . Now is the time to start the conversation around your family ’ s mental health history . It is important to remember that mental health issues don ’ t discriminate . According to statistics from the National Alliance on Mental Illness :
• 1 in 5 U . S . adults experience a mental illness each year
• 1 in 6 U . S . youths aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year
• 50 % of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 15 , and 75 % by age 24 .
In talking about family mental health issues , it can be surprising when you realize you can often point to family members with similar problems . According to the National Institutes for Health , scientists have long recognized that many psychiatric disorders tend to run in families , suggesting potential genetic roots . Such disorders include autism , attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD ), anxiety disorders , bipolar disorder , major depression and schizophrenia .
Most mental health disorders are caused by a combination of multiple genetic and environmental factors . Susceptibility is passed on in families through genes . Experts believe that mental illnesses are linked to abnormalities in many genes rather than just one or a few and that how genes interact with the environment is different for each person . That is why a
42 • SEKY - Life in Southeast Kentucky november 2022