Confronting Mental Illness Stigma

by Kalliope Bessler

An estimated one in five adults in  America live with a mental illness (“Mental Illness Statistics”) However, only about 66% of U.S. adults living with a mental illness are actually receiving treatment for it (“Mental Illness Statistics”). That means that there is a large percentage of people in the United States that are not receiving the proper treatment for their mental illness. 

One major contributor to this lack of mental health care is the stigma surrounding mental illness and seeking mental health care. Stigma can be explained as “a mark of shame” on an object, person, or trait (Merriam-Webster). 

In the United States, there is an undeniable social stigma surrounding mental illness that may prevent people from seeking treatment. Everyone is affected by this stigma to some extent, but some may experience it more than others based on the messages they have received from their family or peers throughout their life. The stigmatization of mental illness at a familial level can significantly impact someone’s choices when it comes to mental health treatment. 

However, there is a growing effort to de-stigmatize seeking treatment for mental illness. In recent years, mental health practitioners, mental wellness organizations, and even celebrities such as Demi Lovato, Cara Delevingne, and Kendrick Lamar have taken to internet to speak candidly about mental health, campaigning for openness and less judgment surrounding mental health. 

Most people who stigmatize mental illness are not coming from a place of hate or have a desire to be hurtful to those who have a mental illness, they may even have a mental illness themselves that they aren’t comfortable seeking treatment for. More than likely, they are not educated on the realities of mental illness, like the fact that mental illness is much more common than it seems, and that most mental illnesses can be cared for through talk therapy, medication, and other strategies approved by medical professionals. The best place to help someone understand what they don’t know, is helping them learn. The sources below provide some good starting points.  Fighting the stigmatization of mental illness isn’t easy, but it is necessary and will help break down the barriers that many people experience in trying to access mental health care. 

Sources:

Greenstein, L. (2017, October 11). 9 Ways to Fight Mental Health Stigma. Retrieved June 21, 2020, from https://www.nami.org/blogs/nami-blog/october-2017/9-ways-to-fight-mental-health-stigma

Mamo, H. (2020, February 21). Demi Lovato Opens Up About 'Ups and Downs' of Her Mental Health Journey. Retrieved June 21, 2020, from https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/8551638/demi-lovato-mental-health-message-instagram

Merriam-Webster. (2020). Stigma [Def. 1]. In Merriam-Webster. Retrieved June 21, 2020, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stigma

MTV. (2015, April 1). Kendrick Lamar Talks About 'u,' His Depression & Suicidal Thoughts (Pt. 2) [Video file]. Retrieved June 21, 2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hu4Pz9PjolI

National Institute for Mental Health. (2017). Mental Illness Statistics. Retrieved June 21, 2020, from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness.shtml

Park, A. (2017, September 29). Cara Delevingne Opens Up About Battling Depression and Suicidal Thoughts as a Teenager. Retrieved June 21, 2020, from https://www.wmagazine.com/story/cara-delevingne-battling-depression-suicidal-thoughts-teen/