Alliance Alert: A recent report from the New York Health Foundation found New Yorkers’ mental health is improving after a peak during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The report states rates of poor mental health have decreased around 40%, from 2 in 5 New Yorkers experiencing poor mental health in 2021 to nearly 1 in 5 currently. While this improvement is a good sign that more services, particularly voluntary community-based services, are helping more New Yorkers enter and stay in recovery, the data also shows continued disparities including higher rates of poor mental health for younger adults and communities of color.
The report also noted that New Yorkers dealing with food insecurity and insufficiency experienced poor mental health at rates double that of New Yorkers with secure nutrition.
The report shows that the state’s work to provide additional services and support more New Yorkers is working, but it has been less effective for underserved communities and our youth. We must continue to invest in community-based services and youth mental health to reduce these disparities and get these communities the support they need. The Alliance will continue to fight for more voluntary, culturally aware, services which help people stay in their communities of choice ad prevent hospitalization. Continue monitoring this enews to learn ways you can join our advocacy efforts, including attending our annual legislative day on March 5th, 2025. Complete this form to register for legislative day and get more information about the event as well as upcoming regional forums.
See below for more information, and use this link to see the full New York Health Foundation report.
New Yorkers’ Mental Health is Getting Better, but Disparities Persist
By Katelyn Cordero and Maya Kaufman | Politico Pro | October 4, 2024
Mental health among New Yorkers is improving, but there’s still more progress to be made, a new New York Health Foundation report finds.
There was a roughly 40 percent decrease in symptoms of depression or anxiety in New Yorkers between July 2023 and July 2024. But, nearly one in five still experiences poor mental health, according to the Health Foundation.
There were, however, inequitiesin mental health depending on an individual’s age, race and income. The study found younger adults between the ages of 18 and 34 are more likely to experience anxiety or depression than individuals in other age groups.
Additionally, Black and Hispanic individualshave consistently reported higher rates of poor mental health than other racial groups between 2020 to 2024. Those experiencing food insecurity also were found to have higher rates of poor mental health.
The progress in mental health is a win for Gov. Kathy Hochul, who has prioritized expanding mental health resources since the Covid-19 pandemic. Hochul and the state Legislature allocated $1 billion in the state’s 2023-24 budget and increased funding for outpatient mental health visits and school-based mental health clinics.
IN OTHER NEWS:
— A new certification process has been launched for medical respite programs, which serve patients who are homeless or at risk of homelessness and would otherwise require a hospital stay, the state Department of Health said Thursday.
Not-for-profit corporations that wish to operate a medical respite residential care facility must submit a written application that details their plans for meeting the state’s minimum operating requirements and complete an on-site inspection