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Each year, 13% of children, 46% of teenagers, and 19% of adults experience mental illness. People who are battling with their mental health may be members of your family, neighbours, teachers, coworkers, or sit in the same church pew as you. Only half of the people affected, however, receive treatment, frequently as a result of the stigma associated with mental health. Untreated mental illness can lead to higher medical costs, worse academic and professional performance, fewer job possibilities, and a higher risk of suicide.
What Is a Mental Illness Exactly?
A mental illness is a physical brain disease that results in cognitive, behavioural, energetic, or emotional abnormalities that make it challenging to manage the day-to-day demands of living. The complex reasons for these diseases, which can include genetics, brain chemistry, brain anatomy, having experienced trauma, and/or having another medical condition, such as heart disease, are beginning to be revealed through research.
The two most widespread mental health issues are:
Anxiety Disorders – Anxiety disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder (panic attacks), generalised anxiety disorder, and particular phobias affect more than 18% of people annually.
Mood Disorders - Each year, almost 10% of adults have mood disorders such as depression and bipolar depression, which are characterised by difficulty controlling one's mood.
Actions You Can Take to Aid
Studies show that the stigma against mental illness is still strong, in large part because of media stereotypes and a lack of education and that people tend to associate mental health conditions with negative stigmas at a much higher rate than they do with other illnesses and disabilities, such as cancer, diabetes, or heart disease. This is true even though the general perception of mental illness has improved over the past few decades.
Stigma has an impact on both the number of people seeking treatment and the number of resources available for effective care. Someone who is coping with a mental health problem may feel like they are facing impassable barriers due to stigma and false information. Here are some effective actions you may take to assist:
- Respecting and accepting people helps them overcome a major obstacle to successfully managing with their disease.
For someone who is having mental health issues, it can make a huge difference when people perceive you as an individual rather than as having a disease. - It is possible to ensure that these people have the same rights and opportunities as other members of your church, school, and community by advocating within our spheres of influence.
- Understanding mental health better enables us to offer beneficial support to people impacted in our families and communities.