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It is well documented that heart disease is the leading cause of death in America. Statistically, roughly 40% of Americans, or two out of five, will develop cancer in their lifetime, according to the American Cancer Society. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported that as of 2021, almost 12% of Americans – nearly one in eight – had diabetes.
What Americans may be less aware of, however, is that over 23% – more than one in five – of adults in the U.S. are living with a mental illness, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Conditions range in severity, but soberingly, the CDC reported that over 49,000 people in the U.S. died by suicide in 2023, equating to one life lost every 11 minutes.
Mental and behavioral health challenges, like physical health issues, can be diagnosed, treated and improved. There are many providers and services in the greater Severna Park area and across the county that can help people of all ages with mental health.
Nonprofits like the Woods Counseling & Care Center (www.woodsccc.org) in Severna Park and NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Anne Arundel County (www.namiaac.org) offer group- and individual-based mental health support.
Pastor Nancy Lincoln-Reynolds is the director of the Woods Counseling & Care Center, which offers both small-group seminars and individual care with licensed therapists.
Lincoln-Reynolds shared that in the early 2000s, she was doing numerous funerals for people who died by suicide, and the center’s providers knew they had to do more. “We were significant in establishing the county suicide awareness team, and we also ended up creating Parenting for a Different World, and they have continued in existence,” she said.
A positive shift Lincoln-Reynolds has observed over her 42 years of practicing therapy is an increased willingness to ask for help.
“We do have – it’s not as bad as it used to be – but some of a stigma of what it means if you ‘need therapy,’” she said. “We have worked really hard through our education and support groups – and when I say ‘we,’ I don’t mean just Woods Counseling Center, but all of the mental health practitioners – to sort of normalize being able to get help when you need it, and we found that has worked. We’re better than we were 20 years ago in terms of people feeling OK asking for help.”
Once place that community members can receive help for free is NAMI Anne Arundel County. While the nonprofit does not offer professional therapy or psychiatric services, it does offer support for individuals living with mental health challenges and those caring for them.
“We provide advocacy, education and support for those with a mental illness over (the age of) 18, and then we also secondarily provide the same thing – advocacy, education and support – for the parents and loved ones taking care of those people, so we do both sides,” shared NAMI Anne Arundel County Executive Director Fred Delp.
Currently, the county branch of NAMI offers five support groups for parents, loved ones and caregivers of individuals living with a mental health condition, as well as two support groups for those individuals themselves, all facilitated by trained volunteers. In total, the nonprofit serves nearly 1,000 people each year. Delp shared that NAMI also advocates for better services and additional funding in the county.
One thing for which Delp and NAMI have been advocating is more resources for adolescents. He highlighted that the 40 beds available at the county hospitals’ in-patient psychiatric facilities are all for adults.
“We’re seeing a trend: There’s more and more mental health issues (and) challenges coming up with adolescents,” he said, noting a greater number of middle- and high-school students needing mental health care either through therapy, psychiatric care, or in-patient treatment if necessary.
For people of all ages and with any type of mental health challenge, there is support available in many forms throughout the area.
For those who are experiencing symptoms such as difficulty concentrating, loss of interest in things you enjoy, difficulty getting out of bed due to low mood, irritability, sleeplessness or other changes in mood, a good first step is talking with your primary care provider. According to the NIMH, it can perform an initial mental health screening and refer you to the appropriate mental health professional.
There are hundreds of licensed therapists, psychologists and psychiatrists in the area who can help with mental health challenges.
At times, mental health challenges become emergency situations, and there are several options for help in times of crisis.
Under the direction of the Anne Arundel County Mental Health Agency, the Crisis Response System, known as the “community warmline,” is a service that provides county residents in crisis with immediate support. Calls to the county warmline, 410-768-5522, are answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Crisis Response staff intervene with callers who are experiencing a mental health and/or substance use disorder emergency.
Both Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center (AAMC) and University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center (UM BWMC) offer emergency services for mental and behavioral health as well. The emergency room at AAMC offers areas that focus on substance abuse, psychiatric issues, or a combination of both. If necessary, the staff coordinates transition to a Luminis Health inpatient care unit or other facility. UM BWMC offers both inpatient and outpatient behavioral health programs for adults, providing care for those with bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety disorders, suicidal behavior and many other conditions.
Anne Arundel County Public Schools offers many mental and behavioral health resources for students and families through school counselors, psychologists, pupil personnel workers and social workers. Every school is assigned a psychologist, and counselors are available in all schools. Learn more about school-based resources at www.aacps.org/page/student-services.
Sometimes, natural occurrences in life — such as grieving the loss of a loved one — can lead to depression. Chesapeake Life Center, a part of Hospice of the Chesapeake, offers support to anyone grieving the loss of a parent, spouse, child or loved one regardless of their relationship to Hospice. More information can be found at www.chesapeakelifecenter.org.
GriefShare is a faith-based organization that offers in-person and virtual 13-week support groups, many of which are hosted at local churches. Find a nearby group at www.griefshare.org.
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