Fort Lauderdale, Florida Therapists

Overview of Mental Health Resources In Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Fort Lauderdale is in Broward County, Florida.  The city had a population of 165,521 in 2010, according to the most recent U.S. Census completed in the state.  It has a total area of 38.6 square miles (99.9 km2).  It is known for its far-reaching network of canals, which includes 165 miles (266 km) of them and there are 7 miles (11 km) of beaches along the Atlantic Ocean.  The area has a tropical rainforest climate.  The weather is a beautiful average of 75.5 F degrees (24.2 C) temperature year-round and around 246 sunny days annually.  The city is popular with tourists.  In 2012, there were 12 million visitors, together with 2.8 million international visitors.  Tourism is great for the local economy as the county’s 5% hotel tax in 2012 totaled $43.9 million.  Their Port Everglades saw 46 cruise ships in the same year.  Due to its proximity to the Caribbean and the Bahamas, it is a popular yachting vacation place.  The annual Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show is the largest in the world and it attracts over 125,000 people to the area each year.  The numerous restaurants, golf clubs, nightclubs, and campgrounds make it an attractive place to visit.  The city is known for its large LGBT+ community and has the highest ratio of gay individuals than any other city in the U.S.

The community is over 62% Caucasian and 31% African-American along with a strong diversity of other cultures.  As of 2010, the median income for a household in the city was $49,818 and 18.2% of the population was below the poverty line.  In 2015, the divorce rate in Florida was 8.4 percent compared to the country’s rate of 6.9 percent.  The rate of dissolutions in the same year was 4.0 percent for Florida and 3.1 for the U.S.

City Concerns

The Florida Council for Community Mental Health reports that Florida ranks 50th in the country for per-capita public mental health spending.  The state spends approximately $39 per resident, significantly behind the national average of $129 per capita.  The state now spends less per person on mental health services than it did in the 1950s when considering inflation.  For this reason, individuals suffering from mental health issues and their loved ones must often overcome difficult obstacles to get effective, proper treatment.  The report states that lack of treatment could lead to unnecessary disability, unemployment, substance abuse, homelessness, inappropriate incarceration, suicide, and difficult lives.  Florida has a slightly higher rate (13.84% per 100,000 population) of suicide compared to the national average (12.93%).  Other issues in the city that could affect the well-being of the community include possible gentrification as the city continues to increase redevelopment to attract a wealthier demographic.  This process decreases affordable housing, putting a financial strain on the lower and middle classes.  This is reported to detrimentally affect mental and emotional health.  The other community concern is the contamination of the water supply in the city and the New River.  Tests show a high level of trihalomethanes, which could have a detrimental impact on individuals’ nervous systems and fetuses’ nervous systems with a potential effect on mental health as well as other medical concerns.