Established in May 1949, Mental Health Month aims to increase awareness about the importance of mental health and wellness in Americans’ lives and to celebrate recovery from mental illness.
While not everyone who has mental illness is abusing substances, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) reports that “researchers have found that about half of individuals who experience a (Substance Use Disorder) during their lives will also experience a co-occurring mental disorder and vice versa.” Co-occurring disorders often include anxiety, depression, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), bipolar disorder, personality disorders and schizophrenia.
Comprehensive treatment addresses mental and substance use disorders simultaneously, the NIMH says — yet only 9.1 percent of people suffering from both conditions receive integrated treatment of them, and a whopping 52.5 percent of people receive no care at all. According to a 2017 study, adults who did not receive care for their mental illness and substance addiction reported several barriers to access, including cost, lack of knowledge about where to go for help, and concerns about confidentiality and negative impacts on their job and social life.
We at National Drug Screening want to help people have greater access to the care they need — and we provide the drug-testing services that can be powerful tools for preventing substance use and relapse that can exacerbate mental health problems. We offer immediate and affordable drug testing for individuals, for employers, and for officials presiding over an array of treatment and rehabilitative programs, including those in healthcare, military and law enforcement environments. Our robust national network of more than 10,000 testing centers in all 50 states provides swift, turnkey service delivered in strict confidentiality. We remain laser focused on providing the best drug and alcohol testing services available in the United States — and our expert consultants welcome hearing from anyone wanting to know more about how drug testing could promote health and wellness in a wide variety of settings.
To those who champion mental health not only in May but all throughout the year, we at National Drug Screening salute you.
