Reflections on Mental Health Awareness Week - How far we’ve come and how far we still need to go
I’ve been participating in a number of events this week to support my fellow colleagues and peers, continue my own learning and development, and generally advocate for more awareness of mental health in my social networks and community. I have to say that I’m feeling mixed emotions about where we are and where we are heading when it comes to mental health.
Here are my personal reflections on the good and not-so-good reality of mental health in 2024.
The good:
Increasing public awareness: It’s now commonplace to see awareness campaigns promoted on TV and through social media, to have mental health training programs offered in schools and workplaces, or to hear celebrities and public figures open up about their own mental health challenges. These collective efforts have raised our attention, improved mental health literacy and helped reduce stigma around mental ill health.
A huge rise in mental health research. A quick search of medical and psychological databases reveals that over 500,000 academic articles have been published on mental health since 2000. To put that into context, there were just over 60,000 articles published on mental health in the 150 years prior. This clearly reflects a growing research interest and a desire to understand the mechanisms that drive positive mental health outcomes.
More therapeutic options available than ever before. With greater research and awareness comes more therapeutic interventions to support prevention, mitigation and recovery. New interventions are challenging traditional medical approaches with a greater emphasis on the mind-body connection, meditation and spiritual practices, exercise, coaching, social connectedness, and even psychedelics.
More public health policies targeting mental health. The World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations, the European Commission and virtually every other country across the globe now has a written mental health policy or strategy. Enforceable and actionable policy, along with advocacy and awareness, is making its way into governmental directives, giving mental health practitioners the guidance they need to plan, implement and measure program effectiveness.
A lot of great people doing a lot of great things. There are thousands of mental health agencies, NGOs, funders, not-for-profit organizations and community groups around the world working tirelessly to raise awareness, build advocacy networks, share ideas, innovate and collaborate on how best to address mental health and support those in crisis. With so much creativity, passion and commitment to service, there is no lack of amazing resources and thought going into the future of mental health care.
An increasing emphasis on positive mental health. An expanding dialog around good mental health is working its way into every day conversations. We now talk more openly about the benefits of self-care, movement and exercise, meditation, building positive social support networks and taking mental health breaks. Just as we need to look after our physical health, we also need to look after our cognitive, mental and emotional health by creating good habits and recognizing the link between our body and mind.
The not-so-good:
A significant rise in reported mental health issues. The WHO recently published statistics that showed a 13% increase in reported mental health disorders over the past 10 years. Now add to that the millions of unrecognized and unreported mental health issues that don’t make the statistics and you can start to imagine the size of the challenge we are facing, and will continue to face. This increase makes it all the more critical that we design integrated mental health solutions across our organizations and communities.
Stigma remains a major barrier to seeking help. Public stigma, structural stigma and self-stigma continue to perpetuate due to a lack of understanding, fear, diverse cultural norms, and inaccurate or misleading information about mental health. When stigma pervades, symptoms of mental ill health can worsen and one’s likelihood of seeking help declines. Breaking the barrier of stigma requires open, non-judgmental conversations, educating ourselves and others, being conscious of the language we choose, and encouraging equal treatment and practices for physical and mental health.
Families still carry the bulk of the care burden for those suffering with mental ill health. A wide-spread lack of professional mental health resources and long wait times for consultation mean that the whole family is affected by a loved one’s mental ill health, bringing about a complex set of emotional, physical, financial and social burdens that can have long-lasting family impacts. Furthermore, those suffering with mental ill health may feel ashamed to call on family for support which can delay treatment or prolong their recovery times.
Employers could do a lot more to support mental health. A 2023 HR survey revealed that only 20% of employers had made changes to their policies to support good mental health in the workplace. Along with limited policy change, employers are often not realistic about the state of their employee’s mental health. Employers frequently view mental health issues as something ‘we don’t have a problem with’ or ‘it’s not our problem to solve’, instead of recognizing that their organizational practices could be directly leading to stress, burnout, anxiety, depression and other mental ill health.
A lack of unified care pathways between medical professionals and other mental health practitioners. In most instances primary care doctors or psychiatrists are the first line of support in a mental health crisis. But when referring patients to secondary services, they are often unaware of the wide range of providers beyond the medical arena. We could do a great deal more to build care networks to connect patients to activities, groups and services in their community and to alternative providers of mental health services.
A lack of national funding and poor reimbursement rates for mental health services. A 2020 Financing of Mental Health Report indicated the global median of public spending on mental health was just 2% of government health expenditure. This lack of funding means that in most cases mental health services must to be covered by self-pay or private insurance. When insurance providers do reimburse services, they often do so at rates that are lower than for physical health treatment. Poor funding and low reimbursement impacts both the provider and patient, leading to low pay and high attrition at the provider level and reluctance to seek treatment due to the high personal costs of care at the patient level.
So, as I reflect on the good and the not-so-good this week, I can say that I am deeply grateful for how far we’ve come in bringing mental health to the forefront and for those who work each day to make a meaningful difference in the field. Yet, I am also deeply concerned by the giant obstacles we face in being able to offer accessible, affordable, high-quality care to those most in need.
As a mental health consultant, coach and advocate, I fully appreciate that there is a long road ahead, but I am also reminded that even with a few bumps in the road, together we can do some pretty amazing things. Small steps towards big change that’s my take-away from Mental Health Awareness Week 2024.