Understanding the Impact
Being a teenager is hard enough – coping with school, family, friends and the challenges of adolescence. Now, imagine that due to the start of a mental illness, you are not in control of what you are thinking and feeling.
While the causes of severe mental illness in youth are still not perfectly understood, the impact on individuals, families and communities is increasingly clear.
- Young people living with mental illness face substance abuse, incarceration, isolation, and a continuing need for care.
- 75% of youth with schizophrenia develop a disability and few are gainfully employed.
- 12-15% of those who experience psychosis commit suicide.
- It costs $20,000 – $24,000 for each hospitalization.
1 in 20 young people live with the challenges of mental illness
By focusing on the phase prior to onset, you can mitigate the worst effects of mental illness.
A growing number of communities are stopping the progression of mental illness through the PIER Model of early detection and treatment, which focuses on early onset symptoms at a critical point in development of the brain.