Baltimore, Maryland Therapists

Overview of Mental Health Resources in Baltimore, Maryland

Baltimore is a city that has seen its share of hardship over the years. It does offer some great things like the aquarium and a pretty good football team. However, it also suffers from financial hardship, unemployment and controversy.

Baltimore, Maryland is situated right on the East Coast. It gets cold in the winter and hot in the summer. It is between two other large cities that eclipse it in size and wealth. Yet it perseveres, just like its residents.

Mental Health Statistics for Baltimore

Like a lot of other depressed cities, Baltimore sees its share of mental health disorders. About 1 in 5  Baltimore residents experience mental illness each year. That comes out to be about 110,000 per year. The number of those who suffer a serious mental illness is much lower. It is only about 1 in 20 which is a bit more hopeful.

As far as treatment goes in Baltimore, the numbers are staggering. Out of the 110,000 who are estimated to suffer a mental illness each year, only about 40,000 actually received treatment. Of these, over 15,000 were children. The fact that so many people went untreated is scary. It is also unnecessary. There is treatment available in Baltimore. The problem is that people either can’t afford it, or don’t know how to get it. Our mission is to change this.

Impact of Not Receiving Treatment in Baltimore

It is our hope that every individual who needs mental health treatment receives that treatment. We know this is not realistic, but it is a goal. Baltimore presents an environment where lack of treatment for mental health issues compounds existing problems. Baltimore already has issues with poverty, substance abuse and unemployment. Not treating mental health issues makes these problems even more severe.

The impact of a lack of mental health treatment in Baltimore leads to:

• Increased homelessness
• Increased joblessness
• Greater rates of incarceration
• Overcrowded shelters

Therefore, it’s so important that people in Baltimore know how to access proper mental health care. They need a user-friendly directory that navigates the mental health care system for them. This is where we come into play.

What Makes Baltimore Unique When it Comes to Mental Health?

People in Baltimore are prone to mental health issues due to several factors:

•  The climate in Baltimore is not unique to the Northeast. It is seriously cold in the winter and can be brutally hot and humid in the summer. Snow and ice stick around through spring. People’s mental health is affected by extreme weather. People with seasonal affective disorder feel this even more.
• Baltimore has an unemployment rate of 6.4%. This is 2% higher than Maryland, generally. It is also 2% higher than its neighboring city, Washington D.C. Unemployment leads even the healthiest people to suffer from mental health issues. For a city that is facing such economic challenges, unemployment only increases the chances of a serious mental illness.
•  Like many cities today, Baltimore is suffering from both an opiate epidemic and a fentanyl epidemic. The number of overdoses is downright scary. It is a chicken-and-egg issue. Does the high incidence of drug abuse cause mental issues? Or, does mental health issues lead to drug abuse? Either way, it is even more important that these people receive information about mental health professionals.

Divorce Rate in Baltimore

Baltimore’s divorce rate . This is actually lower than most cities. However, this number is misleading. What makes Baltimore unique is that of all single people in Baltimore, over 60% are divorced. So, although the divorce rate seems low, that is because the rate is on the decline. The main reason for this is that marriage rates are down. It makes sense that if fewer people are getting married, fewer people are getting divorced.

With this many people being divorced, it is clear that people in Baltimore would benefit from marriage counseling. Perhaps if these people took advantage of couples’ therapy, they wouldn’t be afraid to remarry.

Mental Health Resources in Baltimore

Baltimore technically has plenty of mental health professionals. There are 1,154 licensed mental health professionals in the city. However, only 14% of these are willing able to accept new patients. In a study conducted recently, only 14% said they would be able to book a new patient within 45 days. This is a glaring reason why people in Baltimore don’t seek or receive mental health treatment.

This statistic just demonstrates how badly residents in Baltimore, Maryland need information on how to access mental health professionals. If they go online, they are going to get phone numbers for counselors who won’t be able to help them anyway. This creates a vicious cycle. People who already have mental health issues become frustrated at the lack of help. This only exacerbates their mental health issues.

E-Counseling Solves the Challenge of Finding a Therapist in Baltimore

E-Counseling offers people suffering from mental health issues a road map to treatment. It is so important the people be able to access the information they need to get help. Our goal is to provide a one-stop shop to find a mental health professional. We offer a user-friendly way of finding and securing mental health treatment for the people of Baltimore.