I used to have a button I liked to wear around this time of year. It was big and red, and it said: “MERRY CRISIS.” It got loads of doubletakes, to say the least, and more than a few glum looks and weary nods of acknowledgement.

That’s understandable.

After all, hasn’t the holiday season long been associated with stress and depression as much as decorations and gift giving? It’s a rough time of year for people on many levels, but those already battling depression are more likely to report experiencing a mental health crisis during the holidays.

Having had two parents who passed away in early December, I’ll admit that in recent years it hasn’t exactly been the happiest time of year for me either. Fortunately, my partner was a licensed clinical social worker, and many in my group of friends are psychotherapists as well. Thankfully, all have listened patiently when I’ve felt the need to verbalize my sadness and loss. Over time, this helped me tremendously, and I’ll be forever grateful for those informal, and unpaid, talk therapy sessions.

I believe myself to be relatively well-adjusted — no one runs from the room when I enter, and my friends all seem comfortable when they’re around me. Either that, or I’m an unwitting participant in a psychological study they’re all conducting, and I might eventually wind up in someone’s book as “Subject B.” That being said, depression isn’t really a joking matter, and it’s not a once-a-year occurrence. It can manifest at any time for a variety of reasons. Money and job security are two biggies.

Unfortunately, workplace stress remains at an all-time high of 42% and, given the burgeoning number of closures, downsizings and lay-offs, it’s bound only to get worse. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, it’s now official: America is in the midst of a national mental health crisis. Don’t take their word for it though. If you should have any doubts about that statement, just step outside and look around; read the news feed on your smartphone, or watch the nightly news on TV. What do you believe drives all the rampant drug use, random murders and mayhem?

Perhaps you’re more of a number person. If so, here are some numbers for you: In the United States, about 20% of adults and 25% of adolescents have a mental health condition. That’s 1 in every 5, and 1 in every 4 respectively. A column of this length can’t even begin to convey the urgency of the situation.

In the U.S, drug overdose and suicide continue to be the two leading causes of deaths. These deaths are often due to mental distress, and they have a profound and continuing impact on families and communities. Recent studies have shown that quality of life and financial stability are the drivers of mental well-being — and of mental distress as well.

Then there are the disproportionately affected populations: People of color, the chronically unhoused and under-employed, and those without familial or community support were more likely to experience a mental health crisis. Given the current and predicted rise in coming years of mental health issues across all ages and socio-economic groups, we need all the best-trained and well-compensated “professionals” we can get — as well as prompt and easy access to those clinicians.

Not too surprisingly, a news story appeared recently regarding a local nonprofit mental health clinic closing its doors due to “dwindling funding.” Well, I’d say that’s about par for the course, wouldn’t you? For more than 50 years, this clinic helped teens, young adults and their families struggling with substance abuse issues and mental health challenges, but can no longer generate sufficient funding to continue their much-needed work. I imagine a large part of their funding came from Medicaid, and we all know what happened with that.

And, as if the loss of that federal funding for mental health clinics nationwide wasn’t bad enough, the recent announcement by the Department of Education reclassifying a number of career paths as “non-professional” really causes me some concern. The reclassified professions are chiefly in the fields of education and health care, including nursing, social work, public health, physical therapy, occupational therapy, education (Including master’s degree), audiology, speech-language pathology, and counseling.

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Faced with dwindling funding, nonprofit closes its doors after more than 50 years

I’m not entirely clear as to the thinking behind these reclassifications, or how it will ultimately affect those now practicing or studying in these fields. But of one thing I’m certain, anything which negatively impacts the educations and future careers of those to whom we entrust our country’s physical and mental health is not in anyone’s best interest. Rather than devalue the work done by these professionals and turning them all into corporate wage slaves or, God forbid, gig workers, it might behoove us to have a clearer understanding of what repercussions this move may engender.

It’s already been established we are in the midst of a mental health crisis, and funding for the services required for those most in need are drying up. Unfortunately, this comes at a time our country should be investing even more on quality of life and mental health initiatives in order to ensure a well-functioning society moving forward. Mental illness is challenging enough without making it even harder than it already sometimes is to come by the help needed in a crisis situation.

W. R. van Elburg is a James City County resident. He can be reached at w.r.vanelburg@gmail.com.

https://www.dailypress.com/2025/12/06/you-dont-say-a-merry-crisis-to-all/