by Sadie Lipe
In light of the unprecedented number of school shootings in 2018, gun legislation and control — and mental health — have become hot-button issues across the country.
Fortunately, in the Rogers Park and Edgewater areas, there have been no reported school shootings so far this year.
However, according to a recent (albiet… small) survey, many residents are suffering from mental health problems.
The RogersEdge Reporter recently conducted an online survey to gather thoughts and opinions on the current state of mental health and available resources in the area.
Of the 15 respondents, 60 percent live in the Rogers Park or Edgewater area, and more than half said they suffer from a diagnosed mental health disorder such as anxiety, bipolar disorder or depression.
All respondents said they knew of “very few to no” mental health resources available in the Rogers Park and Edgewater areas.
They also rated the publicity of mental health resources in the neighborhoods as “poor.”
A majority of respondents said the community needs more affordable and accessible clinics, therapists and psychiatrists, increased funding from the city and state for mental health treatment and additional in-patient and out-patient treatment facilities.
Currently, there are only four centers within the 48th and 49th wards, according to community help pages.
One individual shared a personal story. She has close friends at Loyola who cannot access the university’s Wellness Center for therapy because of the difficult of scheduling preliminary appointments.
“If these centers want to reach out to everyone, they need to make the effort to accommodate everyone,” the respondent said.
Other people mentioned problems related to “housing for the mentally ill,” “understanding the connection between homelessness and mental illness” and “community engagement and awareness programs.”
