Mental Health Programs
Mental Health Programs in New Jersey
The demand for mental health programs in New Jersey has increased over the last two years.
After analyzing data from the CDC, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that nearly 30 percent more people are experiencing anxiety and depression compared to last year.
The GAO also reported that high pandemic stress levels are increasing the incidence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
In April of 2020, 14 percent of Americans were already experiencing acute psychological distress. That’s triple the rate of distress reported in 2018. Half of the participants reported serious symptoms of depression. Up to 35 percent had severe anxiety.
ER visits for drug overdose rose by almost 40 percent, while suicide attempts were up by 25 percent. In a special issue of the journal Psychological Trauma, the authors conclude that the pandemic has now put everyone at risk for a mental health disorder.
A World-wide Mental Health Care Crisis
A sharp increase in mental health issues has been reported all around the world. One study followed over 1,700 participants in 190 Chinese cities during the height of the pandemic from late January to late February.
Participants reported high levels of stress, anxiety, and depression throughout the study. Instead of improving or getting worse over time, their symptoms became chronic.
Twenty percent of survey respondents in Spain met the criteria for having a mental health disorder. Almost 20 percent were depressed, 25 percent were anxious and 16 percent had PTSD. In Slovenia, half of the survey participants reported high levels of stress.
CALL NOWMental Health Programs in New Jersey
Mental health programs in New Jersey offered by treatment centers like Renewed Light offer much-needed support for clients in a private, confidential, and protective setting. Most mental health programs in New Jersey offer three levels of outpatient treatment. These programs include partial hospitalization programs (PHP), intensive outpatient programs (IOP), and basic outpatient care (OPT)
Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHP)
At this level of care, clients do not require inpatient treatment. However, they still need a lot of love and support. PHP is best described as inpatient treatment for outpatients. Days are spent at the PHP, and evenings and weekends are spent at home.
Clients in PHPs must have a safe and stable living situation. Treatment can last from one month to two years. Participants typically spend 30 hours per week at mental health care facilities and participate in some combination of the following types of mental health therapy and other activities:
- Family, couples, and individual counseling
- Group therapy
- Meditation and spirituality
- Mental health education
- Yoga
- Diet and nutrition
- Medication-assisted therapy
- Art therapy
- Medication management
- Holistic therapy
- Psychodrama
- Music therapy
- Genetic testing
- Goal attainment training
Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP)
Clients in IOPs need considerable structure and ongoing support. However, they don’t need the intense level of care offered by PHPs. In most cases, a customized treatment plan will be created that includes only the most important therapeutic components.
Intensive outpatient programs typically involve at least 12 hours of participation per week. That reduces the amount of time spent in treatment and allows individuals to manage other responsibilities as well. Some IOPs meet in the evenings to accommodate those who are unavailable during the day.
Outpatient Treatment Programs (OP)
OP usually involves short-term interventions that help individuals to cope with difficult life events that have a good chance of resolving within a few weeks or months.
The main difference between outpatient treatment (OP) and intensive outpatient programs (IOP) is the amount of time spent in therapy. OP typically involves only a few sessions of counseling or education per week. It’s a good option for those who have completed either a PHP or an IOP but still need support.
It’s also a good option if you want to see a therapist every week. Short-term counseling can help you to regain psychological balance after a jolt of some kind knocks you off-center.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
This therapeutic approach is usually the treatment of choice in mental health counseling. It’s a highly structured form of therapy that challenges self-defeating thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.
Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)
MAT is an outpatient treatment that involves the use of psychotropic medications in combination with behavioral therapies to manage symptoms of mental health disorders. This treatment requires ongoing medical monitoring by a qualified physician.
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)
This promising and relatively new treatment has been up to 60 percent effective at relieving the symptoms of depression. Magnetic fields stimulate nerve cells in the brain that are thought to control mood and depression. TMS is typically used when other treatments for depression have been ineffective.
What Are Co-occurring Disorders?
Someone with a severe personality disorder might meet the criteria for four, five, or even more disorders. A co-occurring disorder is any previously diagnosed disorder. If a new disorder is identified, a preexisting disorder is called a co-occurring disorder.
New disorders can appear spontaneously, in response to stress or gradually over time for no apparent reason.
In January of 2019, scientists at the University in Denmark analyzed the records of nearly six million Danes. They found that individuals with one mental health disorder were more likely to develop one or more additional disorders.
For example, you might be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder at age 33. However, you’ve also had PTSD for the last 10 years, and you acquired a binge eating disorder in adolescence.
Scientists don’t yet understand the dynamics of co-occurring disorders. We do know that each disorder must be treated independently as well as in connection with any other disorders.
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