The stigma of mental health

TW: anxiety; depression; self-harm; ED

Plans to cut healthcare spending on mental health in England have recently been announced¹, adding to previous NHS cuts². As a result, several charities and organisations have spoken out against these cuts and have highlighted the negative impact the cuts will have on mental health sufferers and carers. But the increasing strain on health care services is just part of the problem when trying to tackle mental health issues.

Around one in four people will suffer from mental health problems at least some point in their lives. One in ten under-15s suffer from mental health issues³. There is no specific profile for a mental health sufferer; people from all walks of life are impacted in some way by mental health problems. Post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, and eating disorders are just some of the mental health problems which affect young people across the UK⁴.

The stigma surrounding mental health issues is a major obstacle for sufferers. Society often fails to understand how severe mental health problems can be, as they think if the illness cannot be seen, it does not exist. Even in the cases where mental health problems exhibit physical symptoms, people often wave these away as less serious or urgent than they really are. The negative and cynical attitude held by a lot of people sends the message that if someone harms themselves, they are attention seekers; if someone is depressed, then they should ‘cheer up’ and get on with life; if someone is having a panic attack, they should ‘calm down’; and most definitely, these people do not require medical treatment. But mental illness can be just as debilitating as physical injuries – yet society underestimates how much mental illness can negatively impact a person’s everyday life.

Take depression as an example; the road to recovery is not simply a matter of taking an antidepressant and then being ‘cured’. It may involve medication; counselling; support groups; cognitive behavioural therapy; using self-help books or audio guides. Even so, these are no guaranteed, fast-pass tickets to recovery.  Recovery may be long, difficult, and for some people, it involves relapse. Adding to the complexity of depression is that everyone responds differently to different treatments, emphasising just how important it is to maintain high quality mental healthcare services. But when people hold such prejudiced attitudes towards mental illness, it makes it increasingly difficult for sufferers to admit they have a mental illness, let alone seek help for it.

Part of the solution to eradicating, or at least reducing, the stigma attached to mental health problems is to raise awareness of it. Students need to be educated about mental illness in schools so that they can understand that mental illnesses are medical conditions that deserve to be treated like any other illness. Quite often, young people do not even realise they are suffering from mental illness. Thus, it is important that people can recognise the symptoms – and not just attribute them to having a ‘bad day’; going through a ‘phase’, or hormones. Schools can also ensure that all students are aware of where they can get help if they need to. Unfortunately, not all schools or educational institutions are well-equipped to help young people with mental health problems. The NHS is a source of support for many young people who deal with mental health issues, providing services such as free counselling sessions and medical care (including emergency medical care). But a lack of available healthcare resources, coupled with the stigma surrounding mental health, means people are less willing to seek the medical attention they require.

Living with mental illness is often described as being unable to escape an incredibly vicious cycle. Fears of being prejudiced or discriminated for having mental health problems means people feel they cannot seek help. If people do not, or cannot, seek help, then they their mental health will further decline. Yet they remain concerned about how others perceive mental illness, further increasing their reluctance to seek help. This cycle continues and in the worst of cases, the consequences are severe. It is imperative that mental health is treated and viewed in the same way as physical health; yet the cuts to mental healthcare spending suggests this is going to be even more difficult to change.

Sources

1. Buchanan, Michael, “Funds cut for mental health trusts in England”, BBC News, December 12 2013, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-25331644 (accessed March 13, 2014).
2. Howse, Patrick, “Mental health charities warn cuts ‘put lives at risk’”, BBC News, March 12 2014, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-26530733 (accessed March 13, 2014).
3. Green et al., “Mental health of children and young people in Great Britain, 2004”, Office for National Statistics, 2005.
4. Halliwell et al., “The Fundamental Facts”, Mental Health Foundation, January 2007.

Jessica Luong