Introduction

Statistics show that one in five adults in the United States suffer from mental illness. Among people aged 18 to 25, the number climbs to nearly one in three. About a quarter of those individuals experience limitations in their ability to function. Nearly ten percent of young adults are among those.

Studies have shown that while the percentages of people with mental illness have remained relatively steady over the last few decades, the severity of mental illness is on the rise. Studies also show that rates of depression and anxiety are increasing among teens and young adults.

Chances are, if you are reading this blog, you are either the parent of a young person with mental illness or you know someone who is.

As Christian believers we hold to the reality of the spiritual realm. Issues of the heart and mind become clouded when illness jars the soul as mental illness does. This blog exists as a refuge for Christian parents whose hearts are ragged from the trials they have endured in dealing with their children’s psychiatric conditions, in dealing with their own relationship with God in light of their grief, and in finding a place to belong in a church, when churches do not always know how to minister to families and individuals facing mental illness.

As seasoned parents of mentally ill children, we don’t have all the answers, but all of us here at Eleventh Willow have been learning to swim while adrift in these seas of uncertainty. We don’t know everything, but we are here for you—to encourage, to inform, and to love you on your journey, and to let you know you’re not alone.

Sources
Grcevich, Stephen. “Is Mental Illness on the Rise?” National Association of Evangelicals, 30 Sept. 2021, https://www.nae.org/mental-illness-rise/.

“Mental Illness.” National Institute of Mental Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Jan. 2022, https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness.