Fear of mental health stigma is the number one reason why people avoid seeking treatment. Stigma most often refers to a set of negative and often unfair beliefs that society has about something. Unfortunately, negative attitudes and beliefs about mental illness are common.
Mental health providers in addition to our community partners need to raise our voices against stigma. By talking openly and accurately about mental health, we can begin to break down the barriers to treatment.
In this article, we set out to arm you with the knowledge needed to fight against mental health stigma – one fact at a time.
1. One in five Americans has experienced some sort of mental illness.
The National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) reports that millions of people are affected by mental illness. Across the country, approximately 10.2 million adults have co-occurring mental health and addiction disorders. Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide and is a major contributor to the global burden of disease.
2. The rate of mental health disorders doubles for those who have been to war or lived through a major disaster.
Almost all people affected by emergencies will experience psychological distress, which for the majority will improve over time. However, over 10% will develop a moderate or severe mental illness. Despite their tragic nature, major disasters have proven to be opportunities to build sustainable mental health systems to address need. At the current time, the Covid-19 pandemic has triggered a national and global response to acknowledge gaps to mental health access.
3. Suicide accounts for over 800,000 deaths globally each year.
90% of those who died by suicide have an underlying mental illness. Suicide is the third leading cause of death in 15 to 19 year-olds. For every suicide, there are many more attempts. A prior risk factor is the single most important risk factor for suicide in the general population.
4. The vast majority of people with mental illness are no more likely to be violent than the general population.
Only 3-5% of violent acts can be attributed to people with a serious mental health illness. In fact, people with severe mental illnesses are more than 10 times more likely to be victims of violent crimes than the general population.
5. Less than half of adults with diagnosable mental illnesses seek treatment due to associated stigma.
Women and younger adults are more likely to access care while ethnic minorities and older people are less likely. While over 60% of primary care well visits include at least one mental health symptom, the majority of physicians report that they do not feel comfortable addressing these concerns in their appointments.
For people with mental illness, the consequences of stigma can be severe: diminished employment and housing opportunities, lowered self-esteem, shame and concealment of symptoms, and low help-seeking behavior. We have the power to fight stigma by speaking out against mental health myths and knowing the facts.
Facts in this article are based on recent data from the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) and the World Health Organization (WHO).