Rockville, Maryland Therapists

An Overview of Mental Health in Rockville, Maryland

Rockville, Maryland, is one of Maryland’s oldest towns, and it also happens to be one of the most prosperous. Located just outside of Washington D.C., Rockville is characterized by more than 1,000 acres of parkland, high-end boutiques, fine dining restaurants, museums and galleries. Almost every home is within walking distance of Rockville’s Town Square and/or a city park. The city’s economy is largely dependent upon technology and biomed, a fact that attracts the well-educated and recent college graduates.

Rockville, Maryland, at a Glance

Rockville, MD, is home to approximately 68,401 individuals. The median household income in 2017 was $100,436, nearly two times more than the national median household of $57,652. The average income per capita in the city is $49,282, approximately $10,000 more than the state’s average and $18,000 more than the national average. 92.1 percent of residents aged 25 or older possess high school diplomas, while 63.1 percent possess bachelor’s degree or higher. To put that in perspective, only about 30 percent of U.S. citizens aged 25 or older possess a college education. 7.2 percent of Rockville residents live in poverty.

The gender pay gap is ever present in Rockville, just as it is in most other areas throughout the nation. The average Rockville male makes $85,453 while a woman in the same occupation with the same background, education and skill level makes just $69,028. The next section will address the relevancy of this information.

Despite the wealth clearly present in the area, little more than 50 percent of housing units are owner-occupied. In the U.S., owner-occupation rates are 63.8 percent, while in the state of Maryland, they’re even higher, at 66.8 percent. One may attribute this to the high cost of living, which the next section will explore more in depth.

Factors That May Contribute to Mental Distress

On paper, Rockville is the perfect place to live. It’s wealthy, it’s beautiful and the city clearly places an emphasis on getting outside and exercising. However, beneath its shiny surface, Rockville too faces unique challenge. One such challenge high rates of mental illness. Below are a few factors that may contribute to the rates of emotional disorders:

• Wealth: Several studies focus on poverty and mental illness, but not many focus on the correlation between wealth and mental sickness. The University of California Berkeley decided to change that. The study found inflated feelings of self-worth lead to such afflictions as narcissistic personality disorder, bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, hypomania and mania.
• Gender Pay Gap: The gender pay gap is not only unfair, but also, it’s harmful. According to the Center for Workplace Mental Health, working women are 2.5 times more likely to experience depression and anxiety than their male counterparts. The study and several others attribute this to the gender pay gap, which diminishes women’s feelings of self-worth.
• High Cost of Living: The cost of living in Rockville, MD, is outstanding, earning a livability score of 150. The housing index is 246, which may explain why little more than half of working-age residents own their own homes. The median property value is $499,400. In the United States, it’s just $184,700. The cost to rent isn’t much better. The median gross rent in the suburb is $1,847, two times the national average. The high cost of living may put unnecessary strain on hard-working residents.
• High Stress Jobs: The majority of Rockville’s working residents work in the tech, science or financial fields. Each of these industries is high stress. High stress jobs often lead to anxiety and depression.

Availability of Mental Health Care Services in Rockville

According to the Baltimore Sun, Maryland places little emphasis on mental health care. In fact, at the end of 2017, the state health secretary and four other top state officials were held in contempt of court for failing to increase the number of psychiatric beds available both before and after people with mental disorders are criminalized. This issues undoubtedly extends to Rockville.

Moreover, because of Rockville’s wealth, residents may be fearful to get the treatment they need for fear of being ostracized by their peers. The lack of available care and the stigma poses a huge concern for the city.