Johns Creek, Georgia Therapists

An Overview of Mental Health in Johns Creek, Georgia

This city located northeast of Atlanta, Georgia is a beautiful place to live. The parks, facilities, and recreation areas are a huge part of daily life in Johns Creek. Residents can see a concert at Mark Burkhalter Amphitheater or reserve a pavilion for individual events. Programs and classes are offered throughout the year to encourage community involvement.

Visitors, also, enjoy the area of Johns Creek, Georgia. With centers including art, environmental education, and heritage, people passing through find many things to do. The North Atlanta Dance Theatre and the Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra keep people entertained, while A&S Culinary concerts give them unique food experiences.

This city in Georgia adopts the following motto: the exception to the everyday. In many ways, the area certainly is the exception:

• Poverty
• Education
• Divorce
• Crime
• Unemployment

Being the ninth largest city in Georgia with almost 85,000 people, it boasts a poverty rate of just 4.5 percent, which is almost 10 percent below the national rate. In terms of educational achievement, almost 40 percent of residents earned a bachelor’s degree, while over 25 percent of the population holds a doctorate.

Only seven percent of the population has ever been divorced, the average rate in America is 40 to 50 percent. Johns Creek is also on lists for the least unemployment, lowest crime index, and safest cities.

However, the city is not an exception when it comes to mental health. Residents suffer from problems of self-harm, substance use, and racial difficulties. Georgia is number 34 in the United States for mental services, number one being the best.

Self Harm

Males struggle more with instances of self-harm and interpersonal violence, and in Johns Creek, the rate is higher than the rest of Georgia and the United States percentages. Females in Johns Creek commit self-harm at a similar rate to the rest of Georgia and United States percentages.

These difficulties may progress to suicidal thoughts and eventually death. About four percent of adults reported suicidal thoughts in the past year according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Association (SAMHSA).

Substance Use

Self-harm and suicide often correlate with substance abuse disorders. SAMHSA found that over eight percent of youth age 12 to 17 reported using illicit drugs in the past year, and over 12 percent of the same age group reported binge drinking in the past month.

Another link to suicide and substance use is depression. Professional counseling and treatment is the best way to help someone struggling with these disorders. While almost 10 percent of adolescents had a major depressive episode in the past year, only 37 percent of those needing help received treatment.

Race

The racial distribution of residents of Johns Creek, Georgia presents unique mental health concerns. The largest demographic groups are the 54 percent white and the 26 percent Asian ethnicities.

In the United States, only five percent of the population identifies as Asian American, so the large percentage of the race in Johns Creek makes for a distinctive situation. Within the race, there are several statistics and facts to consider:

• 13 percent live below poverty.
• 15 percent have no health insurance.
• 13 percent have a diagnosable mental illness.
• Attitudes and knowledge of mental illnesses differ from white Americans.
• Suicide is a greater concern for Asian Americans than white Americans.

With a different culture, Asian Americans receive contrasting pressures and stereotypes to other races. The group of people is considered the “model minority,” portrayed as successfully integrated with no racial bias or discrimination. The culture greatly values family traditions and obligations, as well as academic success, putting pressures on students that other races might not have. Different mental health concerns emerge from the culture.

These ideas and realities might explain why suicide is the ninth leading cause of death for Asian Americans. Almost 19 percent of Asian versus 15.5 percent of white Americans considered suicide, while almost 11 percent of Asian versus 6 percent of white Americans attempted taking their lives.  Suicide death rates are 30 percent higher for Asian Americans than white Americans in females age 15 to 24. Unfortunately, language barriers, unawareness, stigma, and lack of insurance keep these people from receiving the help they need.