Family members, friends and co-workers should take the warning signs of mental illness seriously.
Coming out of the pandemic, mental health facilities are reporting a more significant number of patients with depression and suicidal or violent thoughts. “Watch if you see a dramatic change in someone’s behavior. Suppose they are withdrawing from society, talking about suicide, making odd statements, or acting bizarre. In that case, you should take it seriously,” says Melanie McCarty, adult psychiatric unit director at Conway Regional Medical Center.
A mental health worker with extensive experience, McCarty reports that the number of younger adults suffering from depression and other psychiatric issues has grown since the pandemic.
Adult behavioral health programs like the one at Conway Regional can help.
While the program can help patients as young as 18, most of them are between the ages of 24 and 48. These individuals are experiencing times of crisis due to depression, bipolar episodes, suicidal thoughts, schizophrenia, and other psychiatric issues. The average length of stay is usually three to five days, so the psychiatric team has to move quickly to establish a plan of action.
The multidisciplinary team consisting of a psychiatric provider, recreational therapist, licensed clinical therapist, and nursing staff discuss patient behaviors through individual and group interaction. Every specialist on the team establishes goals for each patient to help that person redirect unhealthy behavior and stabilize their mental health. The patient and sometimes supportive family members are involved in developing the plan.
The Conway Regional Health Foundation’s annual Duck Derby is helping improve access to psychiatric care in Arkansas by funding expansion of Conway Regional’s Adult Psychiatric Unit. As the health system prepares for its fifth annual Duck Derby fundraiser, those efforts are underway to address community needs for adult psychiatric services.
The fifth annual Arkansas Duck Derby will be held on Friday, Jan. 5, 2024, with a banquet, live and silent auctions, raffles, food, entertainment, and much more. The community is invited to attend the banquet regardless of whether individuals participate in the hunt. The event will begin Friday morning with the much-anticipated competitive hunt, winners of which will receive 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place prizes. Proceeds from the annual event will benefit Conway Regional health initiatives.
Arkansas Duck Derby funds benefit Conway Regional Health System health care services. The Duck Derby is helping improve access to mental health care through expansion of Adult Psychiatric Unit (Behavioral Health) at Conway Regional Medical Center in 2021.
The fifth annual Arkansas Duck Derby kicks off on Friday, January 5, 2024, with a hunt, live and silent auctions, raffles, food, entertainment, and much more. The community is invited to attend the banquet. The event will begin Friday morning with the much-anticipated competitive hunt, winners of which will receive 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place prizes.
Arkansas Duck Derby funds benefit Conway Regional Health System health care services. The Duck Derby is helping improve access to mental health care through expansion of Adult Psychiatric Unit (Behavioral Health) at Conway Regional Medical Center.
The fifth annual Arkansas Duck Derby kicks off on Friday, Jan. 5, 2024, with a hunt, live and silent auctions, raffles, food, entertainment, and much more. The community is invited to attend the banquet. The event will begin Friday morning with the much-anticipated competitive hunt, winners of which will receive 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place prizes.
