A Growing Need for Minnesota Treatment Centers for Young Adults

Like their peers around the country, Minnesota’s young adult population is experiencing the long-term negative mental health repercussions of the pandemic. New research shows the one out of every three adults in the North Star State experienced a mental health condition last year.

This mental health crisis is exacerbated by a shortage of Minnesota treatment centers. Thousands of young people in the state suffering from anxiety and depression have not been able to access care at mental health treatment centers for young adults. According to Mental Health America (MHA), more than half of young adults in the state with depression are unable to access any Minnesota mental health services.

Young Adults in Minnesota Are Seeking Help

Each year, MHA ranks all 50 states and Washington DC in terms of mental health and access to care. The organization’s 2021 report found that one out of every three people searching for mental health resources through MHA last year was between the ages of 18 and 24.

Moreover, the number of people calling Mental Health Minnesota’s Helpline, which provides information and referrals, has doubled since 2019. And the organization’s Minnesota Warmline, which offers peer support, has also received a record number of calls, with more than 13,000 calls and texts in 2020.

More people are using Mental Health Minnesota’s screening tools as well. In October 2020, nearly 3,200 people completed a mental health screening with the organization—a 600 percent increase when compared with the numbers in March 2020. And the majority of those who did the screening were under the age of 24, the organization reports.

2021 Minnesota Mental Health Statistics

Mental Health America’s latest rankings show that, on average, 20% of Minnesota residents experienced mental illness in 2021. However, another survey, administered by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), reported even higher numbers. KFF’s report found that 31 percent of Minnesota residents over 18 were experiencing symptoms of anxiety and/or depression.

Consequently, suicidal ideation is also on the rise in the state. MHA found that 5 percent of people in Minnesota—202,000 individuals—seriously considered suicide in 2020. Meanwhile, in the Chicago area, the closest major metropolitan area outside of Minnesota, health officials compared the number of suicides in the first six months of 2019 with the number during the same time period in 2020, and found that suicides had increased by 23 percent.

Lack of Access to Minnesota Mental Health Services

Despite these rising numbers, young adults in Minnesota are not getting the help they need. The state is struggling with a lack of residential treatment for young adults with mental illness, as well as a shortage of outpatient treatment centers in Minneapolis and rural areas of Minnesota. The 2021 MHA rankings showed that 400,000 adults in Minnesota received no care at all for their mental health issues. And among those who actively sought help, one out of every five reported that they were not able to get the treatment they needed.

The lack of access to Minnesota mental health services, including both residential and outpatient treatment centers in Minneapolis Minnesota, young adult rehab, and depression treatment centers in MN, is an ongoing problem in the state. Data from the Minnesota Department of Health shows that nine of the 11 regions in Minnesota were designated Health Professional Shortage Areas in 2019, meaning that there was only one psychiatrist for every 35,000 people in these regions. And a study from the University of Wisconsin’s Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation found that seven Minnesota counties have no mental health care providers at all.

As for Chicago, residents there are “uniquely underserved when it comes to mental health,” according to Ronald Wuest, MD, chair of psychiatry and behavioral neurosciences for DuPage Medical Group. Dr. West says that many of city’s psychiatrists don’t accept insurance or accept only a limited number of insurance carriers.

What to Expect at Newport Institute’s Minnesota Treatment Centers

Newport Institute is addressing the gap in Minnesota mental health services with our residential and outpatient mental health treatment centers for young adults, providing comprehensive, evidence-based care. At our Minnesota mental health programs, our clinical model addresses the underlying causes of mental health disorders, and is informed by our ongoing outcomes research. Our clients work with expert clinicians to address the underlying trauma and attachment wounds that catalyze anxiety, depression, and maladaptive coping mechanisms like self-harm and eating disorders.

In addition, young adults in our Minnesota treatment centers develop skills for building resilience and coping with stress and difficult emotions, while strengthening executive functioning. Family members are an important part of the healing process. Restoring trusting parent-child relationships supports young adults to develop healthy autonomy as they progress into the next stage of growth and maturation.

Beginning with a full assessment by a dedicated treatment team, and continuing after discharge with alumni support, our top-rated Minnesota mental health programs guide young adults to find long-term, sustainable healing.

Evidence-Based Care at Our Mental Health Treatment Centers for Young Adults

In our Minnesota treatment centers, young adults have the opportunity to experience a wide range of modalities, including:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to shift negative thinking patterns toward a more positive outlook, impacting emotions and behavior
• Dialectical Behavioral Therapy to reconcile opposing viewpoints and increase distress tolerance
• Family therapy, such as the Attachment-Based Family Therapy model, to repair damaged parent-child relationships
• Group therapy that helps young adults build supportive peer connections
• Experiential approaches such as fitness activities and art and music therapy
• Mindfulness approaches like yoga, mindful breathing, and meditation.

Young adults also experience a structured schedule that allows them to learn and practice new, healthy approaches to daily living and self-care, which they can take with them when they leave treatment—whether they are heading to college or entering the workforce.

In summary, emerging adults in Minnesota—and in every state—deserve the highest-quality mental healthcare available so they can move forward with strength, hope, and a sense of possibility.

To learn more about Newport Institute’s residential and outpatient Minnesota treatment centers, contact us today.