By Meghan Serceki
Mental Health and Its Impacts
Conversations about depression, anxiety, and broader mental health concerns are becoming increasingly prevalent, especially as the pandemic continues to take a toll on our emotional well-being. Psychological conditions take many forms and vary in intensity from case to case, yet they are issues that touch all our lives — whether we undergo them ourselves or experience our loved ones coping with them.
Everyone may battle with their mental health regardless of age, race, gender, sexuality, or socioeconomic standing. However, LGBTQ individuals, particularly those who are transgender or gender-noncomforming (GNC), encounter them at significantly higher rates. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), approximately 40% of transgender and GNC adults have attempted suicide, compared to the general average of 5%, making them a particularly important group to support and include in these discussions.
Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States, but we as a society cannot afford to only address people’s mental health once it has gotten to the point of contemplation. Providing treatment during the early stages of mental ailments can quite literally be a matter of life and death. The RAND Corporation contends that the majority of people who have died by suicide have not received care from mental health professionals, and those without a history of substance abuse or previous attempts on their lives were less likely to have their symptoms addressed. So, what prevents people from seeking this help? And how can we, as a general population, help encourage the use of these resources?
Stigma Around Mental Health
Unfortunately, mental illness is extremely stigmatized in the United States, making people feel shame in asking for help. Canadian-born sociologist, social psychologist, and writer Erving Goffman described stigma as a “spoiled identity,” whether this identity is internally perceived or externally imposed on others. Many people share the false notion that individuals with a history of mental illness are inherently more dangerous when the vast majority of people struggling are nonviolent. Even in searching for synonyms for the term “mental illness,” words like “insanity,” “derangement,” and “lunacy” come up, all carrying negative connotations.
Because of these assumptions, many feel pressure to “pass” under stigmatization — to hide their experiences or characteristics from others. “Passing” is a term common among the LGBTQ+ community as many feel stuck in the closet, so to speak. Hiding symptoms of depression, anxiety, or other mental disorders only adds to this stress, perceived loneliness, and feeling of hopelessness and worsens the condition from which it stems.
A scholar and professor of psychology, Dr. Patrick W. Corrigan explains that in trying to escape being associated with these negative misconceptions, people are likely to avoid treatment, to drop out of treatment, or to not adhere to treatment guidelines. All such impacts reduce the effectiveness and accessibility of these potentially life-saving interventions.
Combating this Challenge
One of the most efficient ways to counteract stigma is simply increasing contact between people openly dealing with psychological disorders and those not. If people are willing to share their stories and speak up about their internal battles, others might realize that mental illness is much more common than they may have thought, and that most people diagnosed with these conditions are perfectly normal and not at all dangerous. Obviously, this process requires some to make themselves vulnerable and to break from the mold of society’s expectations, but with more time and exposure doing so will become easier.
At the same time, education plays a vital role in moving this process forward. Awareness of the issue is necessary to understanding its impact, yet people must also know how to interact with and support those contending with mental health issues. Education of public officials and the relaying of factual information to combat stereotypes is necessary in doing so. This also takes some of the burden off the people sharing their stories; they may be open about their experiences without having to explain themselves to people or to guide them in their responses. Instead, professionals educated on mental health crises can help develop trainings and campaigns for the general public to better form their ideas of and reactions to those dealing with psychological issues. “Mental health” is very broad and complex, and there must be a solid and complete approach to portraying its forms and impacts.
Conclusion
There are major systemic issues which reduce the availability of mental healthcare and impede transgender access to the care that exists (see “Transgender Healthare in America”). Changing these requires comprehensive changes at the institutional and legislative levels and will not happen overnight. These may seem out of the control of individuals going about their day-to-day lives, but these are exactly the allies we need in this fight.
If more people recognize the reality of mental illness, its prevalence, its seriousness, and its effects on so many peaceful and kind human beings, we can raise our voices together to demand change and to fix these issues.
If you or someone you know are in crisis, please refer to this website for a list of resources. You are not alone.