Struggles with mental health can and do affect people of all ages, and Kitsap County residents are no exception.

From 2011 to 2021, a higher percentage of adults ages 18-44 reported experiencing 14 or more days of mental health that was “not good” compared to adults 45 and older. In the 2022 Kitsap Community Resources survey, a higher rate of adults aged 18-34 (52%) reported needing mental healthcare but not being able to get it compared with adults 65 and older (16%).

Disparities in mental health and wellbeing exist across various demographics, including sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, income and age. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 48,000 people died by suicide in 2021, with a death occurring every 11 minutes. That year, 12.3 million seriously thought about suicide, 3.5 million people made a plan for suicide and 1.7 million attempted it.

According to the CDC, those numbers represent only the tip of the iceberg. For every suicide, there were approximately three hospitalizations due to self-harm; eight emergency room visits related to suicide; 38 self-reported suicide attempts over the past year; and 265 people who seriously considered that drastic action.

For individuals, families and communities to thrive, access to mental health care is essential.

In “Helping Hands: Kitsap Communities Mental Health Resource Guide,” Sound Publishing’s Kitsap News Group has compiled a comprehensive list of agencies and organizations that provide mental health services as well as those that address issues that can affect mental health, such as substance abuse disorder, food insecurity and homelessness. Other types of support, including help for parents, foster parents, foster children and homeless young people, are also included.

View this special section here.

The online version will be updated as needed. To request that an agency or organization be added, email kathy.cruz@soundpublishing.com.