MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH: BEYOND THIRTY-ONE DAYS
As we come out of Mental Health Awareness Month, we reflect on the attention our society pays to mental health issues and the importance of mental wellness. While this month plays a crucial role in fostering awareness and reducing stigma, we also recognize that thirty-one days are not enough to address the profound issues surrounding mental health and mental healthcare. The conversation must extend beyond a single month, addressing barriers to access, the challenge of finding the right therapist, understanding why certain groups are less likely to seek therapy, and what we can do to change that.
Underserved Populations
Certain populations remain underserved in mental health care due to stigma and societal attitudes. Men seek out therapy at half the rate women do across most demographics, for example, and often face pressure to conform to ideals of stoicism, which discourages them from seeking help for everyday stress or life transitions like job loss or divorce. Often, only a couple of months of sessions could provide substantial relief in their lives.
What we think could help:
Promote inclusive mental health campaigns across demographics and types of treatment, targeting the needs of those least likely to seek therapy.
Train mental health professionals in culturally competent care so they can support clients earlier in the therapeutic process and foster long-term mental health by building rapport and trust.
Stigma & Social Pressure
Stigma and social pressure continue to be significant obstacles to accessing mental health care. Many people are still reluctant to discuss their struggles or seek help for fear of judgment or to be seen as weak. Mental health care is not solely for severe conditions. Severe mental health issues are not what makes up the bulk of therapeutic work. Encompassed are a wide range of issues from grief to worry and anxiousness to challenges with dating or making friends; basic human drives for relief and connection that affect overall well-being.
What we think could help:
Encourage mental health education in schools to reduce stigma from an early age and increase public awareness to normalize conversations about mental health at all life stages.
Make mental health support available and accessible in career settings. Employers have a big role to play in changing the mental healthcare landscape, as well as an audience (their employees) who they interact with on a daily basis. It's in everyone's best interest that employers center the well-being of their staff. Employees' mental health is essential to a healthy bottom line and promotes long-term growth for all involved.
Quality of Care
The quality of mental health care varies widely. With such high demand for new therapists, too many under-trained and under-supervised clinicians are "winging it" without adequate theoretical or practical experience. Certainly, different clients will connect with different therapists, but high-quality care should be the standard for everyone.
What we think could help:
Enhance training and supervision standards for mental health professionals, encouraging clients to speak up when they don't think their therapist is a good fit for them.
Promote continuous education and set diverse treatment modalities as the standard for clinicians.
Availability of Services
Physical access to mental health services is another critical issue. Telehealth has expanded the reach of services, providing a valuable option for those who cannot easily attend in-person sessions.
What we think could help:
Advocate for expanded telehealth services and insurance reimbursement to increase accessibility.
Improve transparency about provider availability and service options.
Cost of Services
The cost of providing mental health services is a significant challenge for therapists. High overhead expenses, such as office rent, administrative costs, and continuing education place a financial burden on care providers. Insurance companies often offer woefully inadequate reimbursement rates, making it difficult for therapists to sustain their practices over a career of practice and provide high-quality, accessible care.
What we think could help:
Advocate for sustainable reimbursement rates from insurance companies to ensure fair compensation for therapists over their career while making quality, experienced care accessible for clients.
Support policies that reduce administrative burdens and overhead costs for mental health providers, enabling them to focus more on client care and their own personal and professional development.
To sum it all up
Awareness is vital, but it is only the beginning when it comes to addressing mental healthcare both locally and on a larger scale. Everyone deserves access to care and support. By reducing stigma with early education, understanding why certain populations don't seek therapy, addressing the high cost to provide care and increasing the availability of services, we can create a more equitable and effective mental health care system. Together, we can bring about a future where mental well-being is prioritized and supported for all.
