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Highland, California is a city located in San Bernardino County with a total population of 55,342 people. It is a relatively young city that was incorporated into the state of California in 1987. The city is divided into two regions including East Highland and West Highland. A majority of the population lives on the east side of the city where newly developed housing is located. In general, the eastern side is a higher income area while the west side is lower income.
Although Highland’s median household income of $55,130 is close to the national income, 20.1 percent of residents are living below the poverty line. This is likely partly due to the high cost of living of the city. The cost of living index for Highland is 125.5, which is mostly attributed to expensive housing. There is much research that suggests a strong link between mental health and poverty since prevalence of mental health, substance abuse disorders, and suicidal thoughts increases with individuals living below the poverty line. It is hypothesized that poverty can lead to and worsen symptoms of mental illness and that mental illness can also lead someone into poverty and even homelessness.
In addition, 13 percent of residents in Highland do not have health insurance. While nationally the rate of uninsured has decreased, there are still communities like Highland where a lack of insurance prevents individuals with mental health concerns from getting the treatment they need. In California, 18.46 percent of the population with a disability, which comes out to 1,006,308 Californians, claimed they could not see a doctor due to costs.
In recent years, the impact and prevalence of mental illness has become a hot topic in the United States. From the stigma surrounding mental illness to difficulties accessing treatment, there is still much that needs to be done to help address mental health concerns countrywide. One step in this process is ensuring that those living with mental illnesses, including those in Highland, California, are aware of what resources and services they can access to better their lives and improve their mental health.
In California, there are approximately 5,072,000 adults living with a mental illness and 393,000 youth who have had at least one major depressive episode in the last year. However, 62.3 percent of these individuals, or about 3,157,000 adults, reported that they did not see treatment.
In Highland, statistics reveal that the poverty rate is highest among minorities. While only 8.69 percent of whites in the city are living below the poverty line, 26.20 percent of Hispanics, 20.38 percent of Asians, 20.46 percent of African Americans, and 35.84 percent of Native Americans are living in poverty. Since poverty and mental illness are strongly tied together, it very likely that there is a high prevalence of mental health issues in these communities. This problem is exuberated by the fact that minorities are actually less likely than white Americans to access treatment. In addition to the disparity of mental health services available to minority groups, minorities often receive lower quality of care when they do receive it.
Another concern in Highland is that only 77.3 percent of adults in the city aged over 25 years old have a high school degree. Among the Hispanic population, the high school graduation rate is as low as 62.19 percent. In Highland, those who don’t have a high school degree make significantly less than high school graduates and those with college degrees. Unfortunately, studies conducted throughout the world have shown that dropping out of school, both in high school and college, is often caused to some extent by mental illness. In addition, the financial strain that can result from dropping out of high school can also lead to mental health issues in the future.
Major consequences that can result when mental health problems are left untreated include:
It essential that cities like Highland prioritize the treatment of mental health in their communities and make it easier for individuals to access the care that they need.
The good news is that there already are resources available in Highland, California for those who need it. E-Counseling.com makes the process of locating a therapist much easier to do. Simply access their therapist directory and search through it to find what providers are available near you.