Therapists in Walnut Creek, CA and Nearby Locations

An Overview of Mental Health in Walnut Creek, California

Although once a wild area home to the Bay Miwaok Indian tribes, the city of Walnut Creek, California is now a bustling retail center. The 69,773 residents and tourists alike enjoy biking down the city’s several bike trails, large venues dedicated to the arts, neighborhoods with homes over 100 years old, the Broadway Plaza Shopping Center, and more! Located in Contra Costa County, Walnut Creek is relatively close to San Francisco.

A beautiful city rich in history and diversity, one would assume the residents of Walnut Creek are free from all problems. However, this is not true of any city. Despite the many great benefits of living in this thriving city, there are still individuals who struggle with mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, eating disorders, and schizophrenia. Without treatment, there are many severe consequences including homelessness, suicide, incarceration, and substance abuse. The residents of Walnut Creek must understand the situation within their city and be aware of how to find a mental health provider near them.

Mental Concerns in Walnut Creek

Minorities

As is often the case in communities around the country, minorities in Walnut Creek struggle more in several aspects than their white counterparts. The overall poverty rate of the city is relatively low at 6.48 percent. While 6.02 percent of White individuals live in poverty, 17.42 percent of African Americans and 12.15 percent of Hispanics live below the poverty line. Poverty hurts one’s mental health which is demonstrated by several other statistics:

• African Americans in Walnut Creek have a high school graduation rate of 88.38 percent and a Bachelor’s rate of 37.15 percent. This is significantly lower than rates of 98.39 percent of Whites graduating from high school and 62.04 percent going on to receive a Bachelor’s degree.
• With a divorce rate of 25.2 percent, the percentage of divorced African-American adults is more than double the rate for Whites.
• Except for Hispanics and Asians, the unemployment rate is higher for minorities with Hawaiians experiencing the highest rate at 25.4 percent.

Hospitalizations

When compared to other cities within Contra Costa, Walnut Creek had the highest crude rate of in-patient hospital treatments for mental disorders. While the state of California’s rate rests at 1,055, Contra Costa has a slightly higher rate at 1,101.7. Walnut Creek’s rate is significantly higher than both of these at 1.980.7.  The highest rates of hospitalizations occur among White and African-American populations. While these statistics are useful for revealing where hospital care is needed most in the county, it is difficult to determine exactly what these rates indicate. While higher rates of hospitalizations may imply there are more people with mental disorders living in Walnut Creek than in other cities, this can also indicate there are only more people actively seeking help.

Divorce

Statewide, statistics claim that divorce rates in California have been steadily decreasing. In fact, since 2010 there has been a reported decrease of 10.8 percent divorced individuals living in the state. Alternatively, the county of Contra Costa’s rates have only continued to rise. Walnut Creek’s divorce rate is 11.1 percent which is higher than the state average. It is important to note that these statistics reveal how many people are divorced at a given time rather than showing how many people have ever been divorced. When looking at how prevalent divorce is, you’ll find that 50 percent of marriages end at a national level while California’s rate is even higher at 60 percent.

These statistics reveal that there are a lot of people within California, including Walnut Creek, dealing with divorce. This process can often get very messy as financial assets and time spent with any children are determined for each individual. In addition, it can be very disappointing and heartbreaking for individuals to see the end of a marriage they hoped would last which can result in lasting feelings of depression. Seeing a therapist after a divorce happens or connecting with a marriage counselor when marital strife arises can be very beneficial for those struggling.