Our mission is to promote the mental health and emotional wellbeing of women and youth living in under-resourced communities through advocacy, education, and intervention.
Depression in America
Depression is the most common mental health concern in the United States, affecting more than 21 million Americans each year. Young adults ages 16-25 experience the highest rates, and women are twice as likely as men to be diagnosed with depression. Communities of color are disproportionately affected due to racial disparities across systems of care.
Depression is a debilitating illness and the leading cause of disability in the US for individuals ages 15-44. The effects of depression can be long-lasting or recurrent. It can dramatically affect a person’s ability to function and live a rewarding life. It can negatively impact a person's economic livelihood, productivity, resilience, and physical health. At its worst, depression can lead to suicide, the second leading cause of death in adolescents.
Depression is a debilitating illness and the leading cause of disability in the US for individuals ages 15-44. The effects of depression can be long-lasting or recurrent. It can dramatically affect a person’s ability to function and live a rewarding life. It can negatively impact a person's economic livelihood, productivity, resilience, and physical health. At its worst, depression can lead to suicide, the second leading cause of death in adolescents.
Our Youth Mental Health Crisis
The National Institute of Mental Health has raised the alarm about a growing youth mental health crisis that is impacting communities of color the most. Mental health providers are overwhelmed by the need and many under-resourced communities lack access to mental health services.
What We Do
As rates of depression increase across America, barriers to mental health care like cost, lack of availability, lack of diversity among providers, stigma, and fear or mistrust of treatment continue to keep people from receiving care. We are working to bridge the growing gap between need, availability, and engagement by bringing mental health education and no-cost services directly to communities and campuses in New Jersey and New York.
StrongMinds America provides no-cost psychoeducation, individual, and group counseling for depression to young people (ages 16-25) and women facilitated by culturally competent mental health professionals. Our depression treatment model has been clinically tested and cited by the World Health Organization as an effective treatment for depression in under-resourced settings. |