Mission Viejo, California Therapists

An Overview of Mental Health in Mission Viejo, California

Mission Viejo is a city of 96,386 people located in southern California, north of San Diego and south of Los Angeles. The population is slightly older than the average for the state at 43.7 years of age, and the household income is higher than the average for Californians at $111,503 per year as compared to $67,739 for the state.

Mission Viejo has other positive traits as well. The crime rate is significantly lower than most cities in the United States. Mission Viejo appears perennially on the list of the top 100 safest cities in the country as compiled by City-Data.com. The climate is pleasant with very little rain and temperatures rarely reach above 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

This is also a community with many resources to help residents stay well in terms of their physical and mental health. Eleven hospitals provide varying levels of service, and many outpatient clinics are available in every section of the city. Approximately 78% of Mission Viejo residents are covered by some form of health insurance, most through a plan offered by an employer. For children, schools in Orange County offer early intervention for physical and mental illnesses through school health clinics and school counselors.

Mental Health Needs in Mission Viejo

The California Health Interview Survey of 2014 found that 55.3% of surveyed adults living in Orange County, of which Mission Viejo is a part, said they had experienced a time when they needed help with a mental health condition. However, that same population indicated they had either looked for help and not found it or they had not sought out any form of treatment. Some of the reasons given for the lack of treatment were:

• An older population, many of whom don’t believe in the concept of mental health itself or the concept of mental illness as a treatable problem.
• Not enough inpatient beds for acute mental health conditions or crises
• A perceived stigma associated with seeking treatment
• Difficulty reaching the homeless population
• A lack of resources for prescription medications, management, and monitoring
• Insufficient insurance coverage for mental and behavioral health services
• Nonprofit or government entities providing services to the indigent without the proper resources

Family Mental Health Concerns in Mission Viejo

Providers of mental health services have seen a rise in difficult family situations that bring clients to their doors. For example, due to harsh economic realities, many older adults find their grown children returning to live with them. Even under the best of conditions, this requires adjustment and creates a stressful environment until everyone acclimates. Such a transition doesn’t always go smoothly, and family counseling can be beneficial when things are difficult.

Divorce is another family reality that affects the mental health of children as well as the separating parents. While only about 10% of the residents of Mission Viejo classify themselves as divorced, the divorce rate for Orange County as a whole has historically been one of the highest in the country. Marriage counseling can be instrumental in keeping a family together. If that fails and a family does go through a divorce, the many changes that happen can be made easier with the help of a mental health professional.

Mental Health Resources in Mission Viejo

The city of Mission Viejo makes an effort on its own to make sure that people can find the help they need easily. The Community Resources & Hotlines Connections to Caring publication puts all the relevant information together in one place. The Mental/Behavioral Health subsection lists local and national providers and referral centers. For those experiencing an emergency, crisis hotlines are available for suicide prevention, runaways, and other urgent situations.