More Indiana hospitals aiming to help mental health needs

MERRILLVILLE, Ind. (AP) - One in five adults will experience a mental illness, but many feel embarrassed about seeking help or don't know where to look.

St. Catherine Hospital in East Chicago is working to break down those barriers by offering more programs and upgrading facilities to help more patients.

Community Healthcare System invested $4.9 million to modernize its existing 24-bed, inpatient psychiatric unit and create a new, 16-bed psychiatric unit for adults 65 and older. The first project was completed in 2014, while the older adult unit was finished in 2015.

The results of a 2012 community survey revealed that there was a lack of adequate resources for those seeking mental health services locally.

"It looks absolutely beautiful," said program director of behavioral health services Jake Messing. "We came to a crossroads (a few years ago) about what we wanted to do with mental health and since then it's really grown. We're full or almost full most of time."

The rooms feature calming green tones, with smooth lines and rounded corners, and each floor has a recreation area that is used for socialization and group therapy.

The unit for older adults was an old surgery unit, which had been closed for 20 years. Messing said it was designed with the needs of older adults in mind.

"Older adults have a lot more medical issues and also cognitive dementia and Alzheimer's, so it's built and staffed very different," Messing said.

Nurses have special training in the medical needs of older adults, halls and doorways are wider to accommodate walkers and wheelchairs, and rooms are equipped for treatments like oxygen tanks and dialysis, Messing said.

St. Catherine chief operating officer Craig Bolda recently discussed the hospital's efforts at a program on health disparities in Northwest Indiana. The data from the Community Health Needs Assessment was broken down along age, gender, race and ethnic groups, which illustrated how certain groups suffer from health issues at higher rates than others.

Methodist intern Briana Kikalos said that there was no local data in terms of mental health-related deaths, but understanding behavioral determinants is important in creating effective policies to be implemented at hospitals.

National data shows that suicide is an increasing problem for older men. For white men over the age 85, the suicide rate is four times higher than the national average, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

"As individuals age, changing lifestyle and an increase in physical challenges can lead to sadness and withdrawal; and eventually depression," Bolda said. "Our program, which includes daily visits by a psychiatrist specializing in geriatric psychiatry, helps adults who are experiencing changes in behavior or cognitive skills deal with the aging process and make transitions for a better quality of life."

The hospital also offers an intensive outpatient program for those experiencing behavioral or emotional difficulties, but don't require intense levels of psychiatric care. Adults can attend group therapy for up four days week and three hours day.

"It's a halfway step between inpatient care and outpatient care," Messing said. "It's for a moderate level of symptoms. For example, if I'm pretty depressed, and I'm not getting out of bed, I'm not making it to work, and I have no energy, but I'm not at risk to myself, I'm not suicidal and I have family around, this might be a good program."

Messing said the program is ideal for patients who need help quickly and can't wait a few weeks to see a psychiatrist.

"It's intensive but not as intensive as inpatient care," Messing said. "The program has just exploded and we're hiring a second clinician. We have eight patients coming to group each day, which is as many as we can treat with one clinician. A second clinician would double the number of patients we can see from eight to 16."

Public awareness campaigns and a greater understanding of mental illness in recent years has helped more people seek help to cope with problems like stress, anxiety and depression, but there are still barriers there, Messing said.

"(The stigma), that's the biggest barrier there is," Messing said. "I hate to be so chauvinistic, but us men are particularly averse to seeking out help.

"For example, if (I) have a big heart attack and I'm flat on my back, and the doctor says that he's not sure if I'm ever going to be able to work again. I'm not going to tell you the thoughts in my brain unless you ask. I'm going to sit there very quietly and wonder if life is worth living."

Hospitals are moving toward a more integrated care model because behavioral health issues can be risk factors for a person developing heart disease, obesity, diabetes and other illnesses.

Messing said Community Healthcare System engages in extensive training for nurses to recognize psychological disorders in people in medical beds.

"For example, postpartum depression is a serious issue," Messing said. "We've had psychiatrists go to labor and delivery numerous times to do assessments. It's rather common these days."

Bolda said responding to the needs of the community will hopefully lead to a wider conversation on mental health.

"We're looking at integrated primary care model, because studies have shown that the chronic conditions that we all hear about - the obesity, the diabetes, etc. - can have more favorable outcome when you address the mental component," Bolda said. "I believe that the words anxiety and depression should be talked about just as much as hypertension and diabetes."

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Source: (Merrillville) Post-Tribune, http://trib.in/1RJXk3W

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Information from: Post-Tribune, http://posttrib.chicagotribune.com/