Temple, Texas Therapists

An Overview of Mental Health in Temple, Texas

Every state in America is facing its own issues surrounding mental illness. Mental Health America recently put together a ranking system for rating each state on various factors of mental health. Texas is one state that ended up with some particularly poor ratings. It received an overall rank of 43, with 46 in youth mental health and 50 in care access. It ranked a bit better with a 25 in adult mental health, and was one of the best in prevalence of mental illness with a four.

Texas does deserve to be commended on its prevalence rating, but it appears to be struggling with treating the comparatively small number of individuals who do need mental health care. One of its biggest hurdles appears to be funding of mental health care services. In 2010, Texas beat out only one other state in the least amount of money spent per capita on mental illness at only $39. While there are attempts being made to remedy this, the state’s budget for mental health spending has recently seen some serious cuts.

Mental Health Factors in Temple

Just one community affected by this is Temple, Texas, located in Bell County. The city had a population of 74,503 residents in 2017, and is a part of the Fort Hood metropolitan area. Temple’s economy is focused on public administration, wholesale and healthcare, with a median income of just under $50,000 and a per capita income of approximately $25,000. The unemployment rate is 6.8 percent and the poverty rate is 19.2 percent.

Poverty and Homelessness

Where there’s poverty, there’s bound to be mental illness. Temple has a fairly high poverty rate at just over 19 percent. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), almost half of homeless adults are experiencing a severe mental illness or substance abuse problem. It’s not uncommon for mental illness to lead to poverty and homelessness; severe mental health problems can be just as debilitating as physical health problems. In fact, the World Health Organization cites depression as the leading cause of disability across the globe.

Temple is also facing a unique problem with homelessness. Temple is home to some top-notch mental health treatment facilities, which is a great asset to the area. However, this has created its own issue in that other communities with fewer resources are referring patients to Temple to seek treatment. Unfortunately, Temple doesn’t always have the resources to meet this additional demand. According to one report, many of the individuals who came to Temple for treatment from other areas have become homeless.

Suicide Rate

From 2011 to 2015, the suicide rate in Bell County was 15.7 per 100,000 people. This is higher than the state rate of 11.9 per 100,000. Texas also had a high rate of suicide by firearm at 6.75, compared to the national rate of 6.37.

Mental Health Resources in Temple

Although awareness and understanding of mental illness has been on the rise recently, there is still stigma surrounding the issue. For many, this can make it much harder to seek out treatment. However, it is important to remember that you are not alone in the struggle for better mental health. There are many other people dealing with similar issues, as well as those with the compassion and expertise to help you deal with your own. There are many great resources available in the Temple area:

• Central Counties Services provides behavioral health assistance to residents of Bell County, including screenings, counseling and support for housing and employment.
• Baylor Scott & White Mental Health Clinic is located in Temple and offers a wide variety of services such as outpatient programs, inpatient services and a multitude of therapy types.
• Cedar Crest in nearby Belton is a behavioral health center offering a variety of inpatient and outpatient services, including services designed specifically for children, teens and veterans.

One of the most important aspects of successful mental health treatment is finding a therapist you feel comfortable with. For this reason, you may want to give E-Counseling a try. It’s an online directory designed to help you locate a mental health professional in your area who meets your individual criteria. You can take the first step toward better mental health today.