Reducing the Stigma around Mental Health

By Mehreen Kapoor

Negative attitudes and views against people with mental illness are frequent, and making

continuous efforts to destigmatize mental health should be a goal for everyone. We have seen

societies become more open about mental health for many years, but we still have much work to

do before issues surrounding mental health are entirely destigmatized.

According to a report by the Child Mind Institute, only 35 percent of children get the help

they need for psychiatric illnesses. This can be for a variety of reasons including, lack of

knowledge or because of societal views about mental illness. The same report found that 70.4

percent of youth in juvenile justice systems meet the criteria for psychiatric disorders. There are

still beliefs among communities that mental illnesses, and depression and anxiety, in particular,

are just a sign of weakness.

There will always be stigma linked to mental illness until the general public understands

and learns about depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues. Education is the key to

decreasing the stigma associated with mental illness. We can go a long way toward reducing

negative perceptions of mental illness if we can increase awareness of the nature of mental health

disorders by increasing awareness of the symptoms, causes, and treatments of mental illnesses,

and by promoting the experiences of people whose lives have been affected by mental illness.

The stigma associated with mental illness can lead to feelings of shame and self-consciousness; it

has the potential to discourage help-seeking, early identification, and prevention.

Fighting mental health stigma is a refreshing approach to support your mental health

while also giving people who are suffering in silence a voice. As we progress as a society, we

should work towards educating others and destigmatizing mental illness.