Combating Stigma and Shame in Mental Health Support
There has been a serious rise in mental health stigma in the last five years, and resources to fight it have become unknown to those who need them. The lack of mental health awareness can be attributed to many things, including ineffective mental health public school education, expensive or unknown treatment options, and social media. Society was approaching a relatively healthy and honest narrative about mental illness. However, it seems as though the pendulum has now swung back to a lack of basic knowledge about mental health due to myths perpetuated by stereotypes.
The issue of finding new methods to improve mental health has been around for decades, but it fails to see substantial change. Mental health conditions are just as dangerous as physical health conditions when neglected, but they do not seem to be treated the same. The way people talk about mental illness, using words like “crazy” or throwing buzzwords around creative negative cliches that generalize people, makes people afraid to reach out for help in fear of being shamed. This worsens the gap between needing help and reaching out for it. The power mental illness holds is significant; it can take a life away just as fast as a physical illness can. Younger people are especially vulnerable to believing mental health stigmas and stereotypes.
Today’s youth are greatly impacted by the current mental health crisis. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, “the average delay between onset of mental illness symptoms and treatment is 11 years.” Adolescents regularly fail to recognize signs of mental illness, whether it's in themselves or other people. People aren’t equipped with the knowledge to recognize symptoms and safely confront them. Reaching out for help is often noted as one of the most difficult parts of recovery, but the process after isn’t always easier. According to the National Library of Medicine, “Among adolescents with a current diagnosis who needed treatment or counseling, 61.0% had difficulty getting needed treatment in 2023, a 35% increase since 2018.” Overcoming a huge obstacle such as recognizing the need for help and actually seeking it, only to face challenges getting worthwhile aid, is extremely discouraging. If there are limited options for getting mental health resources, acknowledging the presence of mental illness feels unproductive or meaningless. This is why it's imperative to find better ways to teach mental health facts to youth, give people destigmatized and accessible ways to get better, and to nurture a safe culture that allows people to express their emotions openly.
Research and advocacy work in mental health are crucial in getting people better help and better education about mental health is an important step in finding ways to improve it. By reading articles and statistics, writing to government officials, or disputing mental health myths, we can help tackle the crisis. If everyone does their part to be better educated, understanding, and foster an unjudgmental community, there’s a possibility for a happier future.