Mental health is an important part of well-being and a key to good quality of life. But sadly, it’s often neglected. A person’s mental health impacts how they think, feels and behaves and affects their ability to cope with stress and challenges. In addition, poor mental health can lead to a lack of focus at work or school, a reluctance to seek help and fewer opportunities for social or professional engagement. It can also lead to a greater risk of substance use and suicide.
Awareness is a vital first step to tackling stigma and encouraging people to seek support and treatment. Stigma is a complex phenomenon that influences beliefs about the cause of mental illness, a perception of its seriousness and a lack of trust in services. It can also have a direct effect on an individual’s mental health, with research suggesting that it can affect help-seeking behaviour, support for local services and charitable donations.
A number of mental health awareness efforts have been launched over the past 15 years, including public health campaigns by charities, government bodies and workplaces; and thousands of websites and social media accounts that promote various messages aimed at explaining symptoms, destigmatising specific disorders, stating that it’s normal to have mental health problems and encouraging help-seeking. Despite these efforts, the evidence suggests that stigma continues to be an overwhelming barrier to people seeking support.
Some researchers have argued that awareness-raising efforts might increase the prevalence of mental health issues by two processes; improved recognition and overinterpretation (see Figure 1). If individuals are repeatedly reminded that they may be experiencing some form of mental distress, they will have an increased likelihood of identifying these symptoms and reporting them. They will also be more likely to interpret their experiences as ‘normal’ if they are told that mental health difficulties are common in society.