Robert Rollins, PMHNP within the Irene LeeKong Health & Wellness Institute
Mental Health Awareness Month comes to a close this week, marking the end of a month dedicated to highlighting the importance and implications of mental health in the United States. Since 1949, this month has served as a time to especially underscore, advocate for, and discuss the many nuances of mental health—the state of well-being that individually and, in turn, collectively affects us all—but yet remains stigmatized in our society. The taboo conversation around the unseen and visible realities of untreated mental health conditions can be further complicated by race, socioeconomic status, education level, and location, thus leaving gaps in accessibility to those who need services most.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), 1 in 5 adults experience mental illness every year, with 1 in 20 experiencing a kind of serious mental illness. Youth also face challenging mental health statistics as 1 in every 6 between the ages of 6-17 experience a mental health disorder every year. Even more devastating: suicide ranks as the second highest cause of death for those 10 to 14. With race added to the equation, data shows that non-Hispanic Black or African Americans rank fourth highest (21.4%) in annual prevalence of mental illness in adults. Mental illness hardly ever exists in silos and can lead to other issues including substance abuse, and comorbidities like cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.
Robert Rollins, PMHNP, a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner within the Irene LeeKong Health and Wellness Institute at The Family Center, is doing his part to effect change. Having always known he wanted to be in psychiatry, Rollins worked in nursing for years before following his calling. “No matter what field of nursing I was in, I always tended to gravitate to people, talk to people, learn about people, and they always seemed to naturally have trust in me,” he said. Then, the pandemic hit. Rates of mental illness incidence skyrocketed globally as livelihoods were upended, society shut down, and people lost their lives due to COVID-19. Rollins knew it was time to lean into his passion.
As a Black man in medicine, Robert Rollins recognizes how pivotal representation is. For generations, many in the Black community have abided by the oft-thought notion that difficult times should be kept to oneself, illness should be prayed away, and being medicated for mental illness could lead to some form of insanity. “There’s so many things out there that we just, for some reason, think wouldn’t work for us,” he said.
“We have this idea that our experience is unique, and yes, it is unique, but I believe all human beings have it within them to succeed and thrive.” Mental Health Awareness Month is wrapping up, but Robert Rollins, PMHNP, wants us all to champion our mental health year-round. “People need to be hyperconscious on themselves and pay attention to how they feel on a daily basis. Learn how to say no, learn how to say yes and learn how to act in accordance with their true feelings,” he said. “Sit down outside in nature, be with the sunlight, and be one with your thoughts. Not engaging with social media, not looking at video—just being at peace with yourself.”
