North Little Rock, Arkansas Therapists

An Overview of Mental Health in North Little Rock, Arkansas

As of 2016, over 66,000 called North Little Rock, Arkansas, home. Located in Pulaski County in central Arkansas, North Little Rock is separated from Little Rock by the Arkansas River. The city is the 7^th most populous in Arkansas and home to 5 community centers and 34 parks.

The population is broken almost right down the middle between white and African American, with a small percentage of Hispanic and Asian residents. Residents can date their ancestry back to several countries and continents, including Africa, Germany, Ireland and the United Kingdom.

The cost of living in North Little Rock is less than the United States average (100) at 85.5. While only 30 percent have a bachelor’s degree or higher, 90 percent of the population did graduate from high school and attend some college. The divorce rate is similar to the rest of the country at 14.8 percent.

The crime rate in North Little Rock, Arkansas, is much higher than the United States average. While the country’s average is 280.5, the city hovers around 425.7. On average, there are more crimes in the city, including robbery, assault, rape, murder, burglary, theft, auto theft and arson than there are in the rest of the country.

Tourists, visitors and residents enjoy access to several tourist attractions including Burns Park, North Shore River Walk, Funland Amusement Park, Twin City Antique Mall, Wild River Country and Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum. The area is also prone to natural disasters, with tornado activity higher than the Arkansas average and 158 percent greater than the average in the country.

While the unemployment rate in Arkansas is 4.8 percent, the rate in North Little Rock is just a tiny bit higher at five percent. Most residents are employed by one of the following: sales, extraction and construction, administrative and office support, management, grounds cleaning and maintenance or social service or community jobs.

In North Little Rock, 21.3 percent of people report feeling badly about themselves at one time or another. This could be due to poor health, low income, life situations or any common mental illness. In both adult and youth statistics, Arkansas has a higher rate of mental illness than the country’s national average. According to the National Alliance on Mental Health, 20 percent of Americans suffer from some type of mental health problem. The problem is that mental health remains one of the most under-recognized, under-diagnosed and under-researched conditions.

Almost 10 million Americans have a serious mental illness and 90 percent of those who commit suicide have a serious underlying mental illness. When an individual first notices symptoms of a mental illness, it can take up to eight to ten years before they receive some type of intervention.

Mental Health Resources in North Little Rock, Arkansas

Two problems associated with mental illness is the lack of available resources and the stigma attached to it. Many fear seeking help because they are afraid of how they will be viewed by friends and family, and some simply can’t afford the help of a psychiatrist or psychologist to diagnose and treat what can be a debilitating illness. With the constant chaos surrounding health care and the lack of insurance coverage millions of Americans deal with, mental health is often put on the back burner when money is tight.

The Little Rock Community Mental Health Center, Inc. offers an intake and assessment, outpatient clinic, medication management, housing and residential support, day treatment and community intervention for those who are suffering from a mental illness. Those with thoughts of hurting themselves or others can also call the crisis hotline that is available 24/7.

Behavioral Health Services of Arkansas provides families, adults, adolescents, children and seniors with help. Individual therapy and school-based therapy is available to those who struggle with behavioral or emotional issues.