According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), 1 in every 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year, while 1 in 20 experience serious mental illness each year.

Add to that the amplifying effect of COVID over the last 18+ months, and you see even more people dealing with mental health issues such as anxiety and depression – especially within certain higher risk groups like healthcare and other frontline workers, students, people living alone, and those with pre-existing mental health conditions.

That’s why on Sunday, as we mark the 29^th anniversary of World Mental Health Day, it’s especially important to continue promoting mental health education, awareness and advocacy against social stigma.

As a market research firm focused on healthcare, KJT has had the opportunity to work in the Psychiatry and Mood Disorder segment on many critically important projects, and we’re proud of the detailed insights we’ve delivered to our customers to ensure that patients get the treatment they need to achieve better outcomes.

As the industry’s understanding of mental health grows, healthcare providers, systems and suppliers grow along with it. New knowledge helps all stakeholders working on mental health issues to take further steps in making quality mental health care a reality for all people worldwide.

In recognition of this day, KJT would like to thank all the patients and providers who continue to make our work in this area possible. Their transparency and trust in sharing their experiences is contributing to better treatments and outcomes.

That said, World Mental Health Day isn’t just about the treatment of mental illness. It also provides an opportunity to empower people to look after their own mental health and wellness, and to provide support to others.

According to the World Health Organization (a key partner in support of World Mental Health Day), “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”

KJT shares that perspective and works hard to improve the overall wellness of our employees – with a holistic view of their physical, mental and emotional health. It’s a critical element of our company culture and a cornerstone of the KJT values of Balance, Mutual Respect, Empowerment, Empathy, Integrity, Mindfulness and Ever Better. It’s also why we have invested time and resources into a KJT Wellness Committee, a Social Committee and a dedicated company program to support the community around us.

In the month of October, our wellness theme is Mind Your Health, focusing on the core values of Mindfulness and Empowerment.

For us, Empowerment means we’re working to position everyone for success and encouraging the best and highest purpose in all individuals (including ourselves). Mindfulness means we’re all ‘present’ in the moment and actively contributing to group harmony, while maintaining composure and thoughtfulness.

Putting them together in the month of October helps us identify our own health needs (physical, mental and emotional) and set goals to meet them, while purposefully taking steps to incorporate self-care into our daily lives – including restorative activities such as community support initiatives, social interactions, new learnings and meditation.

We’re also taking the opportunity this month to promote our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for those who may need some help managing stress, grief, loss or any of life’s various challenges. At KJT, our employees know this is a safe environment where a helping hand will be given when needed – including the necessary tools to deal with adversity.

At KJT, we strongly believe that emotionally, mentally and physically healthy employees who are incorporating a wellness mindset into their personal and professional lives will have the resources – and the reserves – to consistently bring their best thinking and their best work to our clients. So, from our point of view, the awareness and de-stigmatization of mental illness – and the promotion of mental health – on World Mental Health Day makes good business sense.

For more information on the KJT team, our views and the values by which we live, please visit: https://kjtgroup.com/meet-the-experts/