National Alliance on Mental Illness to host free classes in St. George

According to a survey conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Utah has the highest rate of mental illness in the nation, with 22.4 percent of the adult population in Utah reporting experiencing a mental disorder in the past year. Out of that group, 5.14 percent had a severe mental disorder that interfered with their daily activities.

Of the 92,400 adults surveyed, the study reported that 18.2 percent of respondents stated they have experienced a mental illness in the past year. If this percentage is applied to the U.S. population, that would be approximately 42.5 million people. Four percent responded as having severe mental illness, which would correlate to approximately 9.3 million people.

The presence of “Severe Mental Illness” and “Any Mental Illness” in every state reinforces that mental illness is a major public health concern in the United States. Researchers involved in the study wrote; “Factors that potentially contribute to the variation are not well understood and need further study.”

Fortunately, there is help available for those struggling with mental illness in St. George and other parts of southern Utah through free classes offered by the National Alliance of Mental Illness starting on Sept. 10. According to a press release by Pam Connors, the program education administrator for the NAMI Southwest Utah Chapter in St. George, “Family to Family class is designated for family members and close friends of those who experience severe and persistent mental illness. The course covers diagnosis, symptoms of major mental illnesses, how the brain is affected, medications, coping and communication skills. This course assists families in helping their loved ones on their journey to recovery.

“Bridges class is for those who are struggling with mental illness. This class teaches about the major mental illnesses, how medications can help, coping techniques, and how to communicate with friends and loved ones.”

According to Wayne Connors, the president of the NAMI Southwest Utah Chapter in St. George, “Our mantra for the families is: There is Hope; there is no cure, but there is recovery; it is a biological brain problem; it is not your fault and it is not the ill person’s fault; you are not alone. We feel that there a lot of “aha” moments as we go through a lot of information about mental illness. Families can find balance, support and be able to move forward for themselves and advocate for their loved one. Finding help and housing is a major problem here and almost everywhere. We are short of psychiatrists, facilities for continued care.”

Connors went on to say that there is a new process being started in St. George called “Mental Health Integration.”

“[T]he primary family doctor can refer patients with mental issues to psychiatrists, counselors, prescribe medicines and follow up with counseling sessions on a continuum of care,” Connors said. “But they are still releasing patients from the Behavioral Hospital because they have been stabilized with no follow up.”

Both the Family to Family and Bridges classes meet at the Washington County Library, located at 88 West 100 South in St. George starting on Sept. 10. Support and connection groups will also continue to be offered on the first Thursday of each month, 5:45 to 7:45 at the same location as the classes. All support groups and classes are free to the public. For more information or to register for one of the free classes, contact NAMI Southwest Utah Chapter in St. George at waconnors@gmail.com or call Pam Connors at (541) 331-0711. You can also register on the website at namiut-sw.org.