Mount Pleasant, South Carolina Therapists

An Overview of Mental Health in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

Mount, Pleasant is one of the largest towns in South Carolina with a total population of 86,668. The area has experienced a lot of growth in the last couple of decades since the population was only 6,155 people in 1970. As the town has grown, it has developed into a large suburban area with plenty of shopping, recreation, schools, and other services. Despite these advancements, Mount Pleasant is still rich in history and has many sites of interest such as the Hibben House, several standing plantations, and the Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum.

In general, the residents of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina are experiencing financial success with a higher-than-average median household income of 90,454 and a low poverty rate of 5.4%. With beautiful beaches, views of the harbor, great weather, and plenty of recreational activities to enjoy, Mount Pleasant is a beautiful town that anyone would love to spend their days in.

Despite such beauty and prosperity, there are still residents who deal with difficult life circumstances.

For example, one of the most traumatic events the community of Mount Pleasant has gone through was the devastation caused by Hurricane Hugo in 1989. It was one of the costliest hurricanes to hit the area and resulted in the death of 49 people, with 12 being South Carolinians. Due to its location, the town has had to deal with the impact of storms over the years.

Losing one’s home and possessions or the death of a loved one in an event like that can be very difficult for people to cope with. Traumatic events, poverty, homelessness, stress, and an unhealthy lifestyle can negatively affect one’s mental health. Luckily, there are resources out there to help residents of Mount Pleasant to find treatment for their mental health concerns.

Mental Health Concerns in Mount Pleasant

The residents of Mount Pleasant are by no means immune to mental illness. Although the country as a whole struggles to address those who are experiencing mental health problems, there are a few issues that are unique to the Mount Pleasant area.

Treatment Accessibility

South Carolina ranks very poorly on providing sufficient care to its mentally ill citizens. Overall, the state ranks 49^th in the nation on how much access to care is available. One of the measures that Mental Health in America used to determine these rankings indicates that South Carolina was the worst state at providing treatment for youths with severe depression with only 12.2% receiving care. These statistics reveal that there are a lot of mentally ill adults, adolescents, and children in South Carolina, including Mount Pleasant, who are not being helped.

While many personal factors prevent people from getting help such as avoiding treatment because of the stigma behind mental illness, South Carolina is experiencing a shortage of mental health providers within the state. In South Carolina, there is only one mental health provider per every 640 residents. Additionally, financial assistance can be a huge contributor to whether someone seeks treatment or not. In Mount Pleasant, 6.8% of residents under 65 years old do not have health insurance which means these individuals likely are not receiving help with their mental health concerns if they have any.

Homelessness and Incarceration of the Mentally Ill

Unfortunately, individuals with a mental illness, especially those with a severe mental illness, are at risk of being incarcerated at some point in their lives as a result of the disorder. Not receiving treatment for one’s mental illness can lead to a variety of issues like substance abuse disorders and homelessness, and people may be jailed or imprisoned as a result of using illegal drugs, public intoxication, or other misbehaviors. One attempt on the end of Charleston County to address this issue is the opening of the Charleston Dorchester Mental Health Center which serves the homeless in the town of Mount Pleasant and surrounding areas. The clinic’s goal is to keep people with mental health issues out of jail and instead provide them with some care.