Shattering the Stigma: Who Gets Help for Mental Health?

Eleven years is the average delay between the onset of mental illness symptoms for a person, and them getting help from a mental health professional. Even with that, only 43% of adults with mental illness issues receive treatment in a given year. Of those with ‘serious mental illness,’ only 63% receive treatment. And only 51% of youth with mental illness issues receive treatment, despite the fact that about half of mental disorders begin before age of 14.

Think about this huge gap in seeking treatment and the ramifications and distress that results in these untreated individuals and their families, schools and communities.

So why don’t people get help sooner? First, for many, there is a lack of mental health professionals, either in hospitals or in outpatient settings, who are available. Rates of mental health workers vary from below 2 per 100,000 population in low-income countries to over 70 per 100,000 in high-income countries. A lack of insurance coverage for mental health services and of personal resources to acquire them is yet another deterrent. But mental health stigmas represent the largest deterrent for seeking help.

Research shows that certain population groups are more disproportionately affected by mental health stigmas, preventing them from seeking help. Those subgroups include: those from Asian, Arabic, African American and other minority ethnic groups; young people; males; and those in military and health occupations (barriers studies).

Certain ethnicities and subcultures may have an aversion to getting help, due to cultural norms of family loyalties to “not share your dirty laundry”. Some family cultures may also simply not talk about emotional issues, feelings or problems.

For men, military personnel, first responders and even health care workers, a personal identity of being the provider of help to others, and therefore finding it difficult to need help for oneself, may also be a deterrent. Similarly, stereotypical ‘machismo’ beliefs that expressing feelings is weak, instead of seeing the expression of emotions as a normal healthy process, may play a role in not seeking help.

So who does actually get help for mental health issues? First, those who are finally desperate, often after many years of suffering. When nothing else has worked and lots of effort and advice-following has not helped, eventually people seek professional help. They finally recognize that the problems are not just going away, just like heart disease or cancer does not just simply ‘go away.’

Others, who have overcome the stigmas of mental health, seek help sooner. They have an understanding that mental health is like physical health - it is on a spectrum of wellness from severe illness to normal dysfunction to the emotionally mature “mental health athletes.” These people know that they need help when their mental illnesses are severe, they can get healthier by seeking help when they and their loved ones are a little dysfunctional, and they even seek support to proactively live life to its fullest.

At Wellspring, we seek to shatter the stigmas of mental health so that all of us can live life to its fullest. Jesus tells us that He came that we could have an abundant life. He is the answer to all of our problems, and sometimes He guides us to that abundant life through earthly help.

by Tova Kreps, LCSW, President & Co-Founder

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To continue the conversation on mental health stigmas, join Wellspring Thursday, April 30, as we seek to Shatter the Stigmas through our live stream event from the comfort of home, with an online silent auction, Dr. Ed Stetzer, videos and interactive discussions with our panel and our audience.

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