Reducing Mental Health Stigma

Written by: Lauren Pflug / Digital Content Strategist at Blueprint Evolution

It is Mental Health Awareness month after all, so let’s get into it. What exactly is mental health stigma?

The American Psychiatric Association states that stigma surrounding mental health is a result of a “lack of understanding or fear” and that “inaccurate or misleading media representations of mental health conditions contribute to both those factors.” Studies show that although the general public is accepting of mental health conditions and accompanying treatments from a medical or genetic standpoint, it is still common for people to have negative bias against those struggling.

Researchers have recognized three types of mental health conditions.

Public stigma is “the negative or discriminatory attitudes that others have about mental health conditions.”

Self-stigma “refers to the negative attitudes, including internalized shame, that people with mental health conditions have about their own condition.”

Institutional stigma, which is more systemic, “involves policies of government and private organizations that intentionally or unintentionally limit opportunities for people with mental health conditions.” There is a significant struggle within mental health research due to lack of funding. Additionally, mental health resources are scarce compared to physical health care (American Psychiatric Association).

While the conversation surrounding mental health has certainly made huge strides in the last 20 years, you can see how these branches of stigma continue to hold us back as a society.

Shame is such a debilitating aspect of mental health conditions and is often the hardest part to shake when participating in and seeking treatment. Based on actual and anecdotal evidence, people suffering from mental health conditions and or challenges who seek care are often met with many barriers.

If you are fortunate to have health insurance, mental health care coverage is not promised. Even if it is, the ‘in-network’ providers are typically limited, and you’re likely to be put on a sometimes, months-long wait list. If you don’t have health insurance, you’re looking at upwards of $200 per session. On top of all of this, many mental health professionals opt out of working with insurance companies due to a long list of drawbacks; tons of paperwork per client, inconsistent reimbursement rates, having to follow complex billing codes, delayed payments, and fighting for adequate coverage for their clients (GoodTherapy.org).

Additionally, cultural stigmas further complicate access to mental health care. In many communities, there are often strong familial cultural values that disagree with obtaining professional help in regard to mental health. Moreover, there is often distrust of the mental healthcare system in BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) communities.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and documented by the U.S. surgeon general’s report on mental health, “racial and ethnic minorities have less access to mental health services than white people, are less likely to receive care they need, and more likely to receive poor-quality care when they are treated.” Furthermore, “black people are 3.5 times more likely to be incarcerated, but are less likely to receive mental health treatment while incarcerated.”

In 2019, when 23-year-old Elijah McClain was walking home from a convenience store in Aurora CO, he was stopped by police for “looking sketchy.” Elijah was introverted, and he shared this with police stating that he was minding his business and just wanted to go home. Elijah was put in a carotid hold (meant to restrict blood and cause loss of consciousness) by police, diagnosed with “excited delirium” by paramedics who then injected him with ketamine (New York Times & NBC News). Elijah had asthma, and the combination of the chokehold and ketamine dosage unjustly killed him.

I touch on this tragedy because this wasn’t a mental health crisis; the officials decided it was and their gross mishandling of the situation cost Elijah his life. If something like this can happen when you’re just trying to buy some iced tea, why would you trust this same system – or any system – when you’re in crisis? Well, you wouldn’t.

The incident involving Elijah McClain is frequently discussed in relation to mental health because it sheds light on systemic problems and how individuals who may have mental health conditions and or challenges could be treated by law enforcement and healthcare providers.

This tragic incident raises legitimate concerns about people’s trust in these systems. It underscores the urgent need for comprehensive training and education for law enforcement and healthcare professionals to enhance their understanding of mental health issues and ensure they respond appropriately to provide the support necessary to care for all people.

For more resources on mental health in diverse populations, please visit https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/diversity

This stigma is real. It runs deep individually and systematically. While we can’t fix the lack of funding or systemic issues overnight, we can do better as individuals. As human beings.

Fortunately, our current generation of parents/guardians raising children are putting in the work to make serious social change. People are breaking generational chains of trauma and toxicity and putting the emotional health of themselves and their children first. This is a huge social shift; adults are discovering that the societal norms that “worked” (did it?) for their parents/grown-ups, do not work for them. In sociology, this is an example of what is called anomie.

So, what can you do as an individual to help reduce the stigma surrounding mental health?

As we know, therapy isn’t accessible to everyone. Luckily, there’s plenty of introspective work you can do on your own. And, in case you’re not caught up, therapy isn’t just for people with mental health condition/s or who are suffering through something. Get to know yourself, ask yourself the tough questions, and check your own biases about what mental health looks like, or how you react when you see different behaviors displayed.

You see endless “mental health awareness” posts on social media: positive affirmations, “check on your strong friends!,” “mental health matters!,” “asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness.” This is all powerful messaging, and I encourage it– but have you ever seen the comment section when a human is behaving in a way that society deems ‘less than normal?’ It’s likely to be full of (negative) sarcasm, diagnoses from people who aren’t qualified to do so, snarky comments such as “someone forgot to take their meds!,” and straight up bullying.

What I’m trying to say here is that our society loves to tout mental health awareness, but as soon as they’re shown what mental health conditions could potentially looks like, the scale tips heavy on the mockery side and advocacy is out the window. (We’ll save the discussion on the correlations between mental health and social media for another time.)

For a deeper dive into mental health stigma and advocacy, check out the book No One Cares About Crazy People by Ron Powers.

If you are looking to take steps to better yourself, and therapy isn’t accessible to you, here are some recommended books to start your journey of healing or introspection:

The Body Keeps The Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk

The Art of Self-Awareness by Patrick King

The Tao of Fully Feeling: Harvesting Forgiveness Out of Blame by Pete Walker

Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents by Lindsay C. Gibson

Finally, if you are in need of mental health resources, or if you or someone you love is in crisis, here are some options for you:

–I recognize these options may not be safe for everyone.

-Additionally, many states have laws that require law enforcement to be dispatched when a crisis call is made. Please check your laws, know your rights, and make the best informed decision for you.

SAMHSA’s National Helpline is free, confidential, and available 24/7, 365. Call 1-800-662-HELP (4357) https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline
Mental Health First Aid – Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/mental-health-resources/
National Institute of Mental Health – Crisis Lifeline: 24-hour, confidential support for anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. Call or text 988 to connect with a trained crisis counselor. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/find-help

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