Hollywood, Florida Therapists

An Overview of Mental Health in Hollywood, Florida

Hollywood is one of the principal cities in the greater metropolitan Miami Florida area with a population of approximately 150,000 and a metro population of over 6 million. Located between Miami and Fort Lauderdale, the city boasts a wide variety of things to do but is mostly known for its miles of beaches, one section interrupted by a portion deeded to Dania Beach, FL.

Host to a myriad of tourist-related activities, often on, in, or near the Atlantic Ocean, Hollywood is home to the Hollywood Boardwalk, airboat rides, Everglade trips, and Hugh Taylor Birch State Park which is known for its Segway adventures. There’s always something to do in Hollywood any time of the year, especially during the winter months when the population grows due to an influx of Snowbirds.

Mental Health Statistics for Hollywood

Frequently mentioned as a health concern for the city, mental health issues continue to climb in this mostly middle-class part of Florida. With mental illness on the rise, Florida in general is falling behind and ranks last in the nation for support services. Although the state seems to have a decent ratio of professionals to the population at 750:1 the length of stay in psychiatric facilities is lengthy with a median average of 342 days.

Supporting mental health is an essential part of overall health and Hollywood residents are more than aware of this. Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death in the state and Broward County has more suicides each year than any other county in the state. 243 people claimed their own life in 2016 and the rate doesn’t seem to be slowing any

What Makes Hollywood Different for Mental Health?

According to the Florida Behavioral Health Association, 61.7 percent of adults don’t get treatment for their mental illness in Florida which ranks 44th in the nation for care. Hollywood also has a slightly higher than the national average rate of poverty compared to the rest of the state and an incongruence in income to cost of living ratio.

• Residents of Hollywood earn slightly more (for the state), while the cost of housing has outpaced income for a decade. Depression and anxiety have been directly tied to financial stress.
• The poverty rate in Broward County is 25%.
• The median home value in Hollywood is $235,500.
• The per capita income in Hollywood is $29,055.
• One suicide every 3 hours in Florida.

Divorce Rate in Hollywood, FL

Divorce in the Hollywood area is higher than average at 15.3 percent. This number represents divorced residents. A median age of 42.6 years old may be a factor in the average number of divorcees as people who marry later in life tend to stay married as opposed to those who marry young. That said 31.6 percent, of the population, has never been married and only 42.9 percent are currently married.

Another factor for Hollywood residents staying married is the availability of premarital and marriage counselors in the area. 59 marriage counselors are in the city with over 400 total in Broward County making for a married population to counselor ratio of 2,500:1.

Mental Health Resources in Hollywood

Florida spent $735 million on mental health in 2015. Broward County spends millions of dollars each year promoting physical activity to help ease the symptoms of anxiety and depression along with a plethora of substance abuse rehabilitation centers located in the area.

Perhaps because the residents are aware of the mental health crisis sweeping the nation and their neighborhoods Hollywood has an abundance of counselors and psychologists available to help people. Broward County has more than 1,000 mental health professionals for an overall patient-to-therapist ratio of 800:1.

Challenges of Finding a Suitable Therapist in Hollywood

Seeking out a mental health professional in any metropolitan area such as Miami and Fort Lauderdale comes with the challenge of deciding which one is best for you. The problem isn’t so much as the availability of professionals, it’s deciding on one.

How do you know which Hollywood therapist is right for you? Everywhere you look online, there are advertisements and “Top 10” lists for mental health professionals on popular sites such as Yelp. Nearly every professional comes with a near-perfect rating, making your decision that much harder.