League City, Texas Therapists

An Overview of Mental Health in League City, Texas

League City in Galveston County is a part of the Greater Houston, Texas metropolitan area. The city was settled in the mid-1800s at the site of a former Native American village. In the early 2000s, increasing costs of living in nearby Galveston resulted in an influx of new residents in League City. Consequently, the population of League City has more than doubled from approximately 45,000 in 2000 to almost 115,000 people in 2017.

The industries of education, healthcare, and manufacturing are the largest sectors in the city. The median income in 2016 was just over $97,000, while per capita income was approximately $40,000 the same year. League City’s unemployment rate of 4.1% is slightly higher than the national average.

Mental Health in Texas

Like most of the nation, Texas is facing a variety of issues relating to mental health. Many residents who need treatment are not receiving it, and the state has been seeing the results of this crisis.

Mental Health America created a rating system to rank each state (plus Washington DC) on various aspects of mental illness. Here are some statistics on Texas:

• MHA ranks Texas at number 43 overall, accounting for a variety of components such as mental illness prevalence, availability of treatment as well as other factors
• Even though it has a poor overall ranking, Texas got a respectable rating of 4 in prevalence of mental illness.
• Texas ranked about average for adults at 25, but only came in at 46 for youth residents, indicating a higher illness prevalence and poor access to treatment in young inhabitants.
• Finally, in terms of access to mental health care, Texas came in dead last with a disappointing rating of 51.

Risk Factors in League City

Of course, in a state as large as Texas, each region tends to be affected by different issues. In the big picture though, these region-specific problems come together to contribute to the state’s overall statistics. Let’s take a look at what’s going on in League City and the greater Houston area.

Poor Access to Care

There are multiple factors contributing to the state’s dismal care access rating, with the following being just a few:

• Many areas across the nation are experiencing a shortage of mental health professionals, so it’s no surprise that the Houston area is one of them. This type of shortage results in longer wait times for patients to receive the treatment they need.
• A big contributor to Texas’s access rating is its lack of funding being allocated for mental health resources. Like League City, the state’s population has been growing rapidly, and its population is quickly outgrowing the amount of resources available to it.
• Stats show that about 80% of adults in League City have health insurance, but unfortunately, insurance can’t cover what isn’t available.

Youth Prevalence

As previously stated, Texas also has a very poor record when it comes to mental illness in its youth. A report on Texas from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) stated that over 60% of adolescents with a mental illness did not receive any treatment for their illness.

Poverty

Mental illness is a common cause of poverty and homelessness. On the other hand, poverty can also be a risk factor for mental illness, creating a vicious cycle. League City has an overall poverty rate of 5.29%.

Although the population of League City is predominantly white (approximately 80%), statistics still show a disproportionate rate of poverty amongst its minorities. Whites and Asians had the lowest rates, at 4.04% and 4.01%, respectively. Hispanics have a poverty rate of 7.74%, while the poverty rate of the black population is just under 9%. However, individuals identifying as “other race” have a whopping 31.64% poverty rate.