Mental-health workers in Kentucky describe rising needs among young adults, recent policy changes expanding coverage, and practical steps they followed in recovery after a suicide attempt.
Governor Beshear signed House Bills 169 and 178 to expand insurance coverage for mental-health conditions and eating disorders earlier this year.
A mental-health professional shared his personal recovery path: diagnosis, medication, therapy, support groups and ongoing treatment after a suicide attempt.
September is Suicide Awareness Month. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention reports suicide ranks tenth among causes of death nationwide. Local reporting notes Kentucky has been in a mental-health crisis for over a decade. This brief summarizes what mental-health professionals and organizations in Kentucky are saying about who is at risk, recent policy changes, and concrete recovery steps used by a clinician who survived a suicide attempt.
Illness found people ages 18 to 29 call the 9-8-8 crisis line at nine times the rate of people 65 and older. That statistic includes college students, who mental-health professionals say are reporting higher levels of distress since the COVID-19 pandemic.
In early April, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear signed House Bills 169 and 178. Those laws extend insurance coverage to people with mental-health conditions and eating disorders. The bills change how insurers must cover behavioral-health care, which can affect access to treatment and who can pay for services.
Professor Jay Gabbard, a social-work instructor at Western Kentucky University, spoke about his own history with mental illness. He said he was diagnosed in his early 20s with bipolar disorder and panic disorder and that he made a suicide attempt. After that attempt he pursued treatment: medication, regular therapy, and participation in support groups.
Actionable steps for people in crisis or supporting someone who is
What this means for students and young adults
College students are highlighted as a high-need group. School counseling centers, community providers, and crisis lines are potential first contacts. Given the higher call rates to 9-8-8 among 18–29-year-olds, campuses and families should expect demand for immediate crisis services and follow-up care.
If you or someone you know may be experiencing a mental-health crisis, call 9-8-8 or local emergency services for help.
September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month , a time to raise awareness about suicide, remember those who have been lost, and remind people that support is available. For nurses and other healthcare professionals, the conversation is especially important.
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