El Cajon, California Therapists

An Overview of Mental Health in El Cajon, California

Part of “The Golden State’s” famous San Diego County, El Cajon, California is surrounded by mountains and near the Pacific Ocean. The city’s name means “little box.” El Cajon is home to some of the best-known businesses in the world, including the manufacturing site for Taylor Guitars. 

Residents and visitors alike can enjoy the year-round warm and sunny weather for which Southern California is so admired. People wishing to go to Mexico can also easily drive to Tijuana from El Cajon. 

Like any other city in the United States and beyond, mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder and depression disregard someone’s geographic location or other characteristics such as socioeconomic status or race. Fortunately, El Cajon and nearby cities have plenty of mental health treatment options. 

Poverty and Mental Illness in El Cajon, California

As of July 2017, El Cajon had 103,894 residents, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. While El Cajon’s annual median household income level is $46,374, nearly 24% of El Cajon residents live in poverty. This is significantly higher than the U.S. and California averages of 12.3% and 19%, respectively. Unfortunately, California has the highest poverty rate in the United States. 

Poverty and mental illness have a multifaceted relationship, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). People who live in poverty often experience more severe symptoms of mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.  

Mental illness does not discriminate depending upon one’s income level; the day-to-day tasks of life can and do worsen symptoms among people from all social and economic classes. However, people in poverty often struggle to obtain or maintain food, affordable housing, and appropriate healthcare. Such struggles combined with a mental illness can make it much more difficult for someone to comply with treatment even when it is offered. 

Poverty also makes it more probable that a person will experience a serious mental illness, according to SAMHSA. It is also worth noting that everyone — regardless of educational or socioeconomic background — has an increased risk of eventually living in poverty once symptoms of a mental illness are present.

Mental Health Statistics for El Cajon, California

According to a report from the American Psychological Association, the entire state of California has 11,000 active psychologists — the largest number in the United States. Generally, the presence of a large number of active psychologists and other mental health professionals indicates that mental illness is prevalent throughout that state; this is clearly the case for California.  

According to SAMHSA’s California Behavioral Health Barometer for 2015, the state has mental illness prevalence rates that are close to the national average. California’s percentage of major depressive episodes among children ages 12-17 in 2013-14 was 11.5% — only half a percentage point higher than the U.S. average of 11% for the same period. The national and state averages for serious mental illnesses among adults for the same period showed a similar trend at 3.8% and 4.2%, respectively. 

Mental Health Resources for El Cajon, California

A SAMHSA online search engine lists three facilities in El Cajon that offer inpatient and outpatient mental health services for children and adults. El Cajon also has four facilities that focus on substance abuse treatment.  

It appears that some El Cajon residents may also visit neighboring cities such as La Mesa (approximately three miles away), Lemon Grove (approximately six miles away), Spring Valley (approximately seven miles away), and San Diego (approximately nine miles away) for their mental health treatment. SAMSHA lists 29 additional mental health treatment options and 50 additional substance abuse treatment choices within a 15-mile radius of El Cajon. 

 Some of the inpatient and outpatient mental health and substance abuse treatment services available in El Cajon and neighboring cities offer low-cost or free treatment to people with low income and/or no insurance. It is always worth asking for payment options, especially when visiting a center in which multiple counselors, therapists, psychologists, and psychiatrists work. 

Challenges of Finding a Suitable Therapist in El Cajon, California

This website is dedicated to helping people in El Cajon, California and every other U.S. city find the best mental health treatment possible.   

While your employer or health insurer likely has a referral service, you are likely to end up frustrated after hours of completing rather personal forms. More often than not, providers recommended by your employer or health insurer have few or no appointments.