Winter Blues Beckon As Daylight Hours Foreshorten

A report from a mental health advocacy group ranked Oregon near the bottom of the list of states for people with mental health concerns,

(Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

For those suffering from mental health issues, there are few states in the country that are worse than Oregon for finding help.

That's according to an annual ranking released by Mental Health America, a nonprofit that advocates for increased access to mental health services, which found that Oregon ranked near the bottom of the list for people seeking counsel.

In fact, of all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Oregon ranked 49th.

"Once again, our report shows that too many Americans are suffering, and far too many are not receiving the treatment they need to live healthy and productive lives," Paul Gionfriddo, president and CEO of the nonprofit, said in a statement. "Mental illness touches everyone. We must improve access to care and treatments, and we need to put a premium on early identification and early intervention for everyone with mental health concerns."

Using publicly available data for both youth and Adults, Mental Health America assessed 15 different measures to come up with the rankings. Among them, availability of mental health workers, insurance rates and unmet mental health needs.

The organization conceded that the results "are not a complete picture of the mental health system," but "they do provide a strong foundation for understanding the prevalence of mental health concerns, as well as issues of access to insurance and treatment, particularly as that access varies among the states."

Nationwide, Mental Health America found that more than 40 million people have mental health concerns, but 56 percent of those people receive no treatment and the situation is worse for youths. At least 60 percent of young people who suffer from major depression got no treatment at all, the organization found.

States near the bottom of the list, including Oregon, had no fewer than one mental health professional for every 1,000 people, according to the report.

Arizona and Nevada -- at rankings of 50 and 51, respectively -- were the only states that come in behind Oregon. The top three states were Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont.

Gionfriddo emphasized that, for many people, the ranking is more than just a collection of data points. It is a matter of life and death.

"It's time to act--we must invest in the overall physical and mental well-being of our citizens--every day," he said. "We must address these mental health concerns before crisis and tragedy strikes."

Courtney Warner Crowell, a spokeswoman for the Oregon Health Authority, said the situation is more nuanced than can be reflected in a simple ranking.

"The results in the study by Mental Health America show that Oregon has one of the highest percentages of individuals with mental illness. The study also shows that we are 21st in the nation with access to care, so while we have one of the highest rates of mental illness, Oregon provides more access than most states," she said in a statement.

She also pointed to an initiative called the Behavioral Health Collaborative that is working with experts to come up with policy proposals to bolster the state's ability to help those with mental health concerns.

"The truth is that too many Oregonians are living with mental illness and that's why the work of the Behavioral Health Collaborative is so important," she said.

Despite its low ranking, Oregon has a number of resources available to people who find themselves in need of help, including a number of crisis hotlines for young people, military members and those contemplating suicide.

-- Kale Williams

kwilliams@oregonian.com

503-294-4048