Des Plaines, Illinois Therapists

An Overview of Mental Health in Des Plaines, Illinois

Des Plaines, Illinois is a suburban city that rests on the Des Plaines River. It is part of Cook County and has a population of 58,193 people. Notably, the city was the home of the very first McDonald’s restaurant opened by franchise owner Ray Kroc in 1955. Although the original building was previously demolished in 1984 when Ray Kroc passed away, a replica was built as a museum shortly after. Although this museum was a popular, tourist hot spot for years, the building will soon be demolished again due to consistent flooding issues. Apart from this historic museum, there are several other places of interest in Des Plaines, Illinois including Rivers Casino, Deval Crossing, and the beautiful Des Plaines Forest Preserve that surrounds the river.

Des Plaines’ largest employers include Universal Oil Products, Holy Family, and Oakton Community College. This city’s unemployment rate of 5.2 percent is equal to the national average. The median household income of the city is $67,415, and the per capita income of Des Plaines is $32,212. The poverty rate is relatively low at 8.9 percent. While these statistics reveal a healthy economic system in the city, Des Plaines has a higher-than-average cost of living with an index of 118. This is mostly due to expensive housing with the median value of homes listed at $242,600. This reveals that individuals in the city will have a harder time meeting the financial demands required to make ends meet in Des Plaines.

A major issue that cities throughout the United States are struggling to address is the rise of mental illness in the country. No city, not even Des Plaines, is free of mental health issues. 12.8 percent of people in suburban Cook County claimed that they had 8 or more mentally unhealthy days per month and 26.4 percent claimed to have had 1 to 7. In addition, approximately 15.73 percent of Illinois’ population, or 1,526,000 people, are known to have a mental illness. The people of Des Plaines must be aware of the mental health situation of their city and the resources that are available to those who need them.

Mental Health Statistics in Des Plaines, Illinois

Exploring the mental health situation in Des Plaines, Illinois reveals key ways in which the community is struggling:

• Only 69.7 percent of individuals located in Des Plaines and other nearby areas that are serviced by the Presence Holy Family Medical Center claim that they get any exercise within a month. A lack of exercise and poor physical health can negatively affect one’s mental health.
• Substance abuse and binge drinking are often a result of poor mental health and can lead to homelessness, overdose, addiction, or alcohol poisoning. In the Des Plaines area, about 17.5 percent of individuals are at risk of binge drinking and 3.4 percent are at risk for chronic drinking.
• Fortunately, the overall suicide rate in Cook County is 7.61 percent which is lower than both the state and national average.
• More than 50 percent of those experiencing homelessness in Des Plaines are identified as severely mentally ill. Additionally, nearly half have chronic substance abuse issues.
• In the state of Illinois, approximately 5 percent of people with a mental illness did not receive any treatment. Additionally, 59.4 percent of youths with major depression went untreated.
• Problems accessing mental health care is a huge barrier that prevents those who need professional help from getting it. An inadequate number of mental health providers is one factor that makes this process harder. In Illinois, there is only one provider for every 530 people.

Mental Health Resources in Des Plaines, Illinois

Although there are many mental health resources available in Chicago, residents living in Des Plaines likely do not want to travel approximately 50 minutes to get the help they need. The closest behavioral health clinics for the area include:

• Family Behavioral Health Clinic
• Home Psychotherapy Services
• Advocate Medical Group Behavioral Health
• Des Plaines Behavioral Health