Happy Mental Health Awareness Month 2024! Conversations around mental health have thankfully become more open in recent years. While this progress is significant, many people are still hesitant to seek help due to stigma and a lack of awareness.

Today, we’ll dig into how mental health awareness has progressed in recent years, what still needs to change, and how we can all do our part.

Mental health awareness is growing

One important trend worth celebrating this month is how far we’ve come in terms of mental health awareness. In decades past, people with mental health issues were treated as social rejects. People generally didn’t talk openly about mental health. Mental illness was associated with negative character traits like laziness, dangerousness, and violence.

This had very real consequences for people with mental illness. Not only were they ostracized from society, facing severe discrimination in areas like employment and housing, but the “treatment” they received was often inhumane.

Although stigma against mental health issues still widely exists across cultures, we’ve come a long way. Newer generations are talking openly and publicly about their mental health struggles. We have a better understanding that mental health comes on a spectrum; just like physical health, mental health is something that affects every one of us, regardless of whether we live with a mental illness.

The public is now more accepting of mental health concerns, especially common ones like depression and anxiety. However, research shows that the public stigma against severe and persistent mental illness (like schizophrenia) isn’t improving, and may even be getting worse.

We still have a long way to go, but there is light at the end of the tunnel.

More people are diagnosed with mental health disorders

Another big change that’s happened over the decades is that the rates of diagnosed mental illness are growing. For example, nearly 30% of Americans live with depression today – around 10 percentage points higher than the number of people with depression in 2015.

On the surface, this is a negative trend. Experts attribute the increase in rates of mental illness to factors like social isolation and loneliness, increased stress, and new technologies like social media and smartphones.

But when we look deeper, there may be some positive aspects of this trend as well. People who were previously not seeking a diagnosis or support may now feel safe enough to do so. In addition, increased awareness of what mental illness can look like – and that you can live with mental health problems like depression and anxiety even if you function well in daily life – could help people realize that they may need support.

More people are getting mental health support

A larger percentage of people have also received mental health treatment in recent years. A 2022 CDC report found that over 23% of adults aged 18 to 44 received mental health care in 2021 compared with around 18% in 2019.

This increase is also not a black-and-white issue. While it’s positive that more people are receiving support, the rise in numbers could also be indicative of the fact that more people are getting diagnosed with mental illness.

In addition, there is still a large unmet need when it comes to mental health treatment access in America. According to Mental Health America’s 2023 Mental Health in America report, over half of U.S. adults with a mental illness receive no treatment – that’s around 28 million individuals. The most common reason for not receiving treatment was not being able to afford it, followed by not knowing where to get services.

These numbers tell us that, despite decreasing stigma against mental health problems, too many people still don’t have adequate access to care.

More effective mental health treatments are available

Lastly, scientific research has provided us with innovative treatment methods that are much more effective, especially compared to the treatments that were available (like Freudian psychoanalysis) in the initial days of psychotherapy.

Effective mental health treatments include:

• Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), which has been around since the 1960s, and the therapy methods (like exposure and response prevention and acceptance and commitment therapy) that use CBT concepts
• Brain stimulation techniques, like TMS therapy
• Person-centered therapy, which treats patients as worthy human beings rather than “sick patients”
• Effective psychiatric medications

Many of these treatment methods are also time-effective, meaning that they start working in a shorter amount of time. Thanks to these treatment methods available today, many people who live with mental illness are able to start feeling better within months.

How to increase mental health awareness

As a society, we’ve had many improvements in terms of mental health awareness. Despite this, mental health stigma is still widespread, and too many people don’t have access to the treatment they need. This Mental Health Awareness Month, here are some simple things that you can do to help further the conversation:

• Educate yourself and others: Take some time to learn about common mental health conditions like anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Understand the signs and symptoms so you can recognize them in yourself or others. There are many reputable online resources and organizations that offer free educational materials, including Mental Health America and the MINES website.
• Listen without judgment: When someone chooses to confide in you about their mental health struggles, practice active listening. Give them your full attention and avoid interrupting or offering unsolicited advice. Instead, focus on validating their feelings and showing empathy.
• Challenge stigma: Negative stereotypes and misinformation about mental health can be incredibly harmful. If you hear someone making insensitive remarks, politely correct them with accurate information. When opportunities arise, open conversations about mental health to normalize seeking help.
• Promote self-care: Encourage healthy habits that contribute to overall well-being. Mental health is about more than the absence of mental illness! This could include getting enough sleep (7-8 hours per night for adults), eating a balanced diet, and exercising regularly. Mindfulness practices like meditation or yoga can also be helpful.
• Lead by example: Openly discussing your own mental health journey (if you feel comfortable) can be a powerful way to break down stigma. Talking about your own experiences with self-care and prioritizing your well-being can inspire others to do the same. It’s important to remember to set healthy boundaries when discussing personal matters.
• Get mental health support: One reason people don’t get the treatment they need is because they don’t know where to find it. Learn how you can get access to mental health treatment if and when you need it. Going through your workplace’s employee assistance program (EAP) can be a great first step to receiving counseling and referrals to long-term resources. MINES & Associates offers free 24/7 confidential counseling for all of our members!

Happy Mental Health Awareness Month!

To Your Wellbeing,

The MINES Team

May is one of our favorite months here at Mines & Associates – Mental Health Awareness Month. At MINES, we’re passionate about changing the discourse around mental health and fighting back against stigma.

Although stigma against mental health issues undeniably continues to exist, we also want to take a moment to celebrate just how far we’ve come. That doesn’t mean we’ll stop fighting against mental health stigma, especially in the workplace – but the wins we’ve all gained together over time deserve to be recognized. Mines & Associates offers mental health services and training solutions to our customers.

How has mental health awareness changed over time?

Although stigma continues to be present against people with mental health conditions, we’ve come a long way in recent years. 

As long as humankind has recognized mental illness, there has been a stigma against people who live with it. Before modern science was able to help people understand mental illness as just that – an illness – people with mental illness were believed to be suffering from a spiritual affliction, like being possessed by the devil.

Because of this, the suggested “cure” for people with mental illness was typically to find a way to let evil spirits out. The earliest procedure that we know of, called trepanning, involved chipping a hole in the person’s skull using stone tools. This was thought of as a way to release evil spirits, and for obvious reasons was very risky and dangerous.

For thousands of years, people with mental illnesses were ostracized by society. Typically, they were physically removed from their homes to be put in institutions or “madhouses.”

The mental health institutions that were prevalent between approximately the 1300s and 1700s typically functioned as mere prisons where people with mental illness could be kept away from the general public. Conditions were inhumane, and people were often locked up in small rooms. Suffering patients were even displayed to the public as a sort of “freak show.”

The 1800s brought about a revolution of sorts in the way people thought about and approached mental health. Institutions, which were now called asylums, had a higher focus on treatment and rehabilitation. The work of Sigmund Freud and his peers also brought about a better understanding of the causes of mental illness.

The stigma against people with mental illness continues to this day, but we have a better collective awareness of the fact that mental health is something that affects all of us. If you’d like to learn more, contact Mines & Associates and ask about our mental health services and training solutions.

Mental health stigma in today’s society

Research has shown that stigma against mental health issues has decreased in recent years. We no longer lock people who live with mental health issues away in institutions. People with mental illness have the same legal rights as anyone else. And younger generations are undoubtedly more open to talking about mental health issues, with videos with the hashtag #mentalhealth on TikTok generating nearly 80 billion views.

One study found a clear decrease (over 22 years) in stigma against depression and a more scientific understanding of what causes schizophrenia and alcohol abuse.

However, the same study found that there was an increase in the number of people who associated alcohol abuse with bad character, and believed people with schizophrenia were violent or dangerous, during that 22-year period.

This shows us that we still have a long way to go. According to the American Psychiatric Association, up to half of people who need mental health support don’t seek it. Even though the reasons behind this are complex, there’s no doubt that stigma plays a role.

Mental health stigma at work

Stigma against mental health issues continues to be particularly strong in the workplace. In one poll, only around 1 in 5 people felt completely comfortable talking about mental health issues at work. More than 1 in 3 were worried about retaliation or getting fired for seeking mental health care.

The good news is that this is changing with every new generation. People in Gen-Z were twice as likely as boomers to feel comfortable talking about their mental health at work.

In some ways, perhaps these words written by sociologist Erwin Goffman in 1963 remain true: “There is no country, society or culture where people with mental illness have the same societal value as people without mental illness.”

But we also need to recognize – and celebrate – that we’ve come a long way.

Does this mean we stop fighting against the stigma that does still exist? Absolutely not. Research shows that one of the best ways to combat stigma is to expose ourselves and others to having relationships with people who have mental illnesses. The more open we are about our own mental health concerns, the

How to promote good mental health in yourself and others

Another important point is that the discussion around mental health and stigma needs to go beyond talking about how we treat people with mental illness. We need to also talk about the full continuum of mental health – and what it means to be truly mentally well beyond just the absence of mental illness.

Of course, there should be no stigma against people who do live with mental illness. And it’s important to recognize mental illness when it is present so that you can get the treatment you need.

But mental health is about a lot more than not having a mental illness. Just like physical health, mental health ranges from having a severe mental illness to having excellent mental health, and everything in between. The more we talk about this, the more we realize that mental health is a topic of discussion that affects all of us, whether or not you or someone you know lives with a mental illness. If you’d like additional help, be sure to contact Mines & Associates to learn more about our mental health training and service solutions.

Here are some tips to promote good mental health in yourself and those around you.

Take care of your body

Physical and mental health are intertwined. People with physical health conditions are more likely to experience poor mental health like depression and stress. Although physical health problems aren’t the only factor that can heighten your risk for poor mental health, taking care of your physical health can be a great way to ward off things like depression and anxiety.

Physical exercise, in particular, has been shown to be a very effective intervention for depression and anxiety. You should also try to get 7 to 9 hours of restful sleep every night.

Build strong relationships

Another way to strengthen your mental health is to have a strong social support network. Poor social support can create a higher likelihood of loneliness and depression. Connect with the loved ones already in your life, and seek to build new connections if you feel lonely.

Seek support

We often think of counseling as something we seek only after we’re having trouble with our mental health. But just like you’d go to your primary care physician for an annual physical or to a fitness trainer simply to improve or maintain your physical health, you can see a counselor as a way to maintain good mental health as well. Please contact Mines & Associates to learn more about our mental health services and training solutions.

Going through your EAP is an easy way to get access to free and confidential counseling 24/7. Seeing a counselor could be the missing piece to your mental well-being.  Give us a call or check with your employer to see what services you have access to on your plan.

To Your Well-Being,

The MINES Team