The drugstore is rolling out a new program targeted to the millions of people who suffer from an untreated mental illness
By Charlotte Hilton Andersen, Fitness Magazine
There's a mental health crisis in our country. It's estimated that 20 percent of Americans suffer from a mental illness and that over half of us will have a mental illness at some point during our lifetimes, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. And because mental illness is still so stigmatized and professional care is difficult to find, many people go without treatment. But a new program from Walgreens aims to change that by bringing mental health care directly to its customers. (Related: Are Women Really More Depressed Than Men?)
Walgreens, in partnership with Mental Health America, has added a new section to their website to both bring awareness to mental illness and to help people find appropriate treatment. On their site, you can now take free scientifically-based mental health screenings, find out more about different illnesses, and even be connected with a therapist via live video chat.
In addition to the online portal, Walgreens is giving their employees, including the nurses, doctors and physician's assistants that work in their clinics, additional training to help recognize common mental health illnesses and resources to better help patients. Their goal? To have three million online screenings by 2017. The program is live online and in Walgreen's stores country-wide now.
There's a mental health crisis in our country. It's estimated that 20 percent of Americans suffer from a mental illness and that over half of us will have a mental illness at some point during our lifetimes, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. And because mental illness is still so stigmatized and professional care is difficult to find, many people go without treatment. But a new program from Walgreens aims to change that by bringing mental health care directly to its customers. (Related: Are Women Really More Depressed Than Men?)
Walgreens, in partnership with Mental Health America, has added a new section to their website to both bring awareness to mental illness and to help people find appropriate treatment. On their site, you can now take free scientifically-based mental health screenings, find out more about different illnesses, and even be connected with a therapist via live video chat.
In addition to the online portal, Walgreens is giving their employees, including the nurses, doctors and physician's assistants that work in their clinics, additional training to help recognize common mental health illnesses and resources to better help patients. Their goal? To have three million online screenings by 2017. The program is live online and in Walgreen's stores country-wide now.
