b'The MS Mental HealthConnection Alan R. SegaloExecutive DirectorWhen MS Focus was founded 33 years In many cases, depression and anxiety areago, raising awareness of MS was a vital goal. direct symptoms stemming from MS. Atthetime,MSwasmisunderstoodand Withnewstudiesestimatingthatmoreoften hidden. The same can be said about than a million people in the United Statesmental illness. Fortunately, today, the public have MS, all of these statistics suggest thathas a much better understanding of both, as hundreds of thousands of people with MS areawareness for each continues to spread and living with some kind of mental health issue,enterthemainstreamconsciousness.But and a large portion of those people are notthere is still much progress to be made. seeking or able to nd treatment. Fortunately,Recent studies on mental health have been inthesamewaythatwehavemore,andquite eye-opening. According to the National more eective, treatments for MS today, theAlliance on Mental Illness, in the United States currentmentalhealthlandscapeincludesalone, 1 in 5 adults experiences some form of many dierent treatment options.mental illness, while 1 in 25 adults is living Whether or not you are currently experiencingwith a serious mental health issue. NAMI also mental health concerns as a symptom of MS,reports that nearly 7 percent of the population doing what you can to maintain your mentallives with major depression, and a whopping health is important. In this issue, we explore18 percent of American adults live with anxiety ways you can keep in shape mentally anddisorders.Thesestatisticsareevenmore emotionally. As you will see in the articlesshocking because NAMI also reported that fromexpertsthroughoutthisissue,stress60 percent of adults with mental illness did not management, exercise, and social interactionseek or receive assistance in the previous year. are all helpful in this regard. So, throughWhile the connections between MS and programs like our Health and Wellness Grant,mental health might not be immediately Support Group Program, and our educationalapparent, they are quite closely related. While MS Focus at Sea cruise, we can help you tothe gures above show that 20 percent of adults maintain or improve your emotional well-being.in the general population experience mental We hope you will learn more about thesehealth concerns, at a minimum, 50 percent programsand the many other services weof the MS population struggles with depression, oer to youand how they can benet youranxiety, or some other mental health issue. MS and your mental health.msfocusmagazine.org 8'