What’s this all about?
Looking for solutions to NKY’s mental health challenges
More than 23% of all adults in the United States have some sort of mental illness, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.
Couple that with a study out of the University of Wisconsin that found the average county has only one mental service provider for every 320 registered residents, and you can understand why St. Elizabeth Healthcare is getting creative when it comes to removing barriers to mental healthcare in Northern Kentucky.
Northern Kentucky’s statistics are stark compared to the number of providers per resident nationally: In Boone County, there is one mental health provider for every 710 people; in Campbell County, there is one for every 570 people; and in Kenton County, there is one mental health provider for every 460 people.
This mirrors what we found during our interviews for this issue. The two biggest barriers to mental healthcare in Northern Kentucky, according to the people we spoke to, are stigma and access to care.
Keep reading to learn about some of the solutions we considered to NKY mental health challenges.
Looking for care:
Creative solutions to NKY’s mental health challenges
