WHO IS NELLIE BLY?

 

Nellie Bly, born Elizabeth Cochrane in 1864, was a renowned journalist, adventurer, and human rights advocate. In 1887, on a special assignment from newspaper mogul joseph Pulitzer, Bly went undercover at the infamous Blackwell's Island Lunatic Asylum in New York. Her ten days in the asylum brought to light the harsh and cruel treatment of patients, and Bly's subsequent expose on the conditions of the asylum brought about the first reforms in mental health care, gave Nellie Bly national recognition, and led to the publishing of her book, "Ten Days in a Madhouse."

 

WHY IS THE NBLS NECESSARY?

 

• In a 2015 study, Meantal Health America (MHA) ranked Nevada 51st (including the District of Columbia) in terms of access to mental healthcare.

• MHA also ranked Nevada as 49th in terms of prevalence of mental illness against the availability of mental healthcare.

• Nevada ranks poorly in Graduation Rate (low), Homelessness (high), Unemployment (high), Toxic Chemical Release (high), and Violent Crimes Committed (high), all of which are linked to increased rates of mental health problems.

• In 2015, SAMHSA reported that 70.7% of adults with mental illness in Nevada did not receive any treatment. This is 13.5% higher than the national average.

• Nevada is ranked 51st in terms of uninsured adults with mental illness. These individuals are ten times more likely to be uninsured compared to those in the #1 ranked state.