Sovereign Health Recognizes World Mental Health Day 2017

SAN CLEMENTE, Calif., Oct. 10, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Sovereign Health, a leading national provider of behavioral health treatment services, recognizes The World Health Organization's observance of World Mental Health Day. Nearly 60 million people in the United States face the day-to-day struggle of living with a mental illness. World Mental Health Day was first celebrated in 1992 at the initiative of the World Federation for Mental Health, a global mental health organization with members and contacts in more than 150 countries.

Each October, supporters from around the world come together to celebrate this annual awareness program that aims to bring attention to mental illness and its major effects on people's lives worldwide. Although millions of people are afflicted, mental illnesses have always been a taboo subject According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, roughly 1 in 5 Americans struggle with mental illness each year. Unfortunately, many of these Americans never seek treatment, erroneously believing that their illness is a character flaw or "beyond help."

There are more than 200 types of mental illnesses – some are rare and some are very common. The more common forms of mental health disorders include depression, dementia, bipolar disorder, anxiety, mood disorders, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder and schizophrenia.

The theme of the WHO World Mental Health Day this year is mental health in the workplace. The importance of this topic is important – not only for the employee who may be living and working with an untreated mental condition, but also for the health of businesses themselves. Workplaces that foster a high-stress, hostile or even abusive environment face fallout such as employee burnout, high rates of staff turnover and reduced productivity. Companies that encourage a more positive and supportive atmosphere can bank on higher productivity and employees who want to stay put, all of which saves money, time and grief.

Employees who are experiencing stress on the job may be more apt to turn to drug or alcohol use, call off work more often due to stress-induced illness, and may find it difficult to concentrate and work effectively. It is advisable to, at least once a year, do a check-up on the health of your company, and assess employees' mental status through anonymous questionnaires and surveys.

If there are employees who are having mental health challenges, support and referral to an appropriate professional can be extremely helpful. Businesses that invest in employees and building a mentally healthy environment benefit both emotionally (by doing the right thing) and financially (by cost-saving through lower rates of attrition and absenteeism, and higher rates of staff retention and productivity.)

About half of mental illnesses begin by age 14, and 75 percent develop by age 24. Mental illnesses are treatable with the proper, professional care. At Sovereign Health, our mental health treatment centers offer patients specialized, comprehensive, evidence-based treatment for a variety of mental illnesses. Our team of licensed professionals evaluates each potential patient for the existence of any psychological and behavioral disorders, even ones that may have been masked by drug or alcohol use. By addressing all the roots of one's problems, we increase each patient's chance at a full recovery. We're there every step of the way.

Mental illness is usually due to a combination of factors, including genetics, environment and lifestyle. Other contributory factors include stress, trauma and brain structure. For more information on World Mental Health Day theme 'health in the workplace,' see our article: "World Mental Health Day: Employees' mental health can affect their productivity at workplace." For more on mental health awareness, see our recent article: "Ending the Stigma: Mental Health Awareness Promotes Education and Understanding."

About Sovereign Health
Sovereign Health has qualified for the Joint Commission's Gold Seal accreditation and consistently ranks as a top provider of behavioral health services, according to the independent eBasis report from McLean Hospital, a Harvard Medical School affiliate. In McLean's quarterly reports for 2016, Sovereign has surpassed 50 other treatment centers nationwide in several important health care measures.

Sovereign Health's facilities are licensed in accordance with state regulations. The Joint Commission is the nation's leading health care standards-setting and accrediting organization, and sets a very high bar for qualifying for the Gold Seal designation. Sovereign's extensive national network of nine facilities across five states also enjoys the distinction of being accredited to provide concurrent mental health and substance use treatment, a rarity in the field.

Sovereign Health's mission is to provide a broad spectrum of high-quality behavioral health treatment services for adults and adolescents, including support services for family members. One factor that differentiates Sovereign from other treatment providers has been the company's ability to offer separate mental health and addiction or dual diagnosis treatment programs at its facilities. For more information, visit www.sovhealth.com.

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SOURCE Sovereign Health