Palatine, Illinois Therapists

An Overview of Mental Health in Palatine, Illinois

Established in 1866, the Village of Palatine is a residential suburb to the northwest of Chicago. As of 2010, it was the 18^th largest community in Illinois and the 7^th largest in Cook County. With several streams around the village and a setting in a wooded marshland, the shape of the city resembles an axe. Tourists visit the area to see Arlington Park, the Deer Grove Forest Preserve and Arlington International Racecourse.

As of 2016, 68,725 people lived in Palatine, Illinois and the median household income was $80,521, which is significantly higher than the state’s median of $60,960. The city’s population is made up of almost 65 percent whites, 19 percent Hispanic, 13 percent Asian and 3 percent black. Just over 17,000 residents are foreign born, including 6.3 percent in Asia, 6.6 percent in Europe and 8.5 percent in Latin America.

The divorce rate in Palatine is just under ten percent, and currently over 50 percent of residents are married. Just over 30 percent have never married, and 3.5 percent have been widowed. The crime index in the city is considerably lower than the country’s average (280.5) at 61.2. Palatine is a safe, profitable place to live, but it is also not immune to the tragedies and issues that surround mental illness and the shortage of treatment options throughout the country.

The unemployment rate in Palatine is low at 3.7 percent, while the state of Illinois hovers just over five percent generally. The most popular industries in the city are manufacturing, retail trade, warehousing and transportation, construction, professional, technical and scientific services, finance and insurance and accommodation and food services.

Cook County has more natural disasters than the national average at 19, with 15 declared presidential emergencies. These include but are not limited to floods, storms, snowstorms, tornadoes, blizzards and hurricanes.

For the population of Palatine that is 25 years of older, 93.4 percent graduated from high school and over 50 percent have a bachelor’s degree or higher. Almost 17 percent of the population has a graduate or professional degree.

The people of Palatine have a healthy diet rate of 48.3 percent, almost identical to the state’s of 48.6 percent. The average BMI is lower here than the rest of the state and almost half of the residents report healthy gums and teeth, a sign that hygiene is important. Just over 20 percent of people report feeling bad about themselves, ten percent don’t drink alcohol at all and 31.7 percent are overweight. The general health condition of this city is 56 percent, just barely higher than the state’s of 55.4 percent.

Mental Health Resources in Palatine, Illinois

According to Mental Health America, Illinois ranks 18^th on the list of states with access to mental health care. Almost 12 percent of the state’s population who have some type of mental illness lack access to insurance, placing Illinois at 28^th in the country with 175,000 uninsured.  Statistics show that over 50 percent of adults with mental illness receive no treatment and Illinois has an estimated 788,000 people in this position. With rising health care costs, lack of access to insurance and uncertainty about the future of health care legislation, millions of Americans struggle to find treatment for a mental illness such as:

• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
• Anxiety disorder
• Autism
• Bipolar disorder
• Depression
• Eating disorders
• Obsessive-compulsive disorders
• Dissociative disorders
• Posttraumatic stress disorder
• Schizophrenia

The same organization reports that 1 in 17 Americans lives with a serious mental illness and half of these conditions present symptoms as early as 14. 75 percent of mental health conditions are present by age 24 and early support and engagement are crucial to the quality of life and likelihood of improvement for the person.

Centers like Northwest Community Healthcare provide behavioral health services for the community with 30 residential beds and 50 inpatient beds, along with outpatient care for less severe cases. Other organizations like Alcoholics Anonymous and Guided Path Psychological Services help to provide access to those who need it most in the Palatine area.