BOISE, Idaho — The conversation around mental healthcare continues to gain traction, but the number of providers is not keeping up with the need for psychological services.
Boise State Senior Ethan LaHaug personally benefited from mental healthcare services when he was growing up.
“I think a lot of people underestimate the impact it can have, whether you’re young or you’re old,” says LaHaug. “In our state, there’s a lack of those services.”
That personal connection is what led him to study Psychology in college.
“I went from being in a pretty bad place to now, I live a really normal life. I don’t know if I have the temperament to be [a provider], but I do know that it was a Godsend for my life,” says LaHaug.
Those in the mental healthcare field are feeling the weight of an overwhelming need for providers in their communities.
“There really is a high need for these types of resources, because there are a lot of kids, you know young kids, adolescents, really a whole range of them, that really struggle with depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions in general,” says Katelyn Gilbert, a Physician Assistant with St. Luke’s Behavioral Health in Twin Falls.
Besides the financial factor, social barriers have stopped people in the past from seeking out the resources they need.
“I entered the Psychology field because I wanted to bring more male influences into that realm. I think that if we can show the world, not only for women but for men too, and make it something that they are comfortable participating in, then that will help people fill those spots,” says LaHaug.
The good news is, that hope can be found and change made for the better through discussion and investing in our mental well-being.
