Much of society does not normalize sharing the concerns of mental health, therefore resulting in people dreading expressing their mental disorders. Most people fear losing their jobs, livelihoods, and some of the youth may fear being treated differently by their peers. While some may argue this is because of their own insecurities, this distress is primarily due to the prejudice and/or ignorance against those with mental illness.
The prejudice towards mental illness impacts how people struggling with mental health respond. This is ultimately because people either fear or reject what they do not know. Some people have ingrained in their minds that mental illness has a negative connotation. Part of this comes from the negative perspective society has imposed on mental disorders, which impacts the manner in which people respond to circumstances. Some companies may not hire someone to work in that area, or prevent a person from living in an apartment due to the prejudice towards mental illness. This stigma leads some people into believing that the mentally ill are incompetent and to blame for their own adversity. This leads to them having less opportunities in the economy, and discourages them from mentioning their diagnosis. Just as people with mental illnesses receive prejudice throughout life, people in society are taught and reinforced by this viewpoint to target them.
The youth’s lack of understanding towards mental illness can come from their environment. Some families distrust receiving mental help from professionals, exposing a toxic perspective towards confiding in one another about their mental health and personal issues. Some teens do not feel comfortable sharing their mental health due to fear of the judgment they receive from their parents. Being brought up in a way that is prejudiced towards people with mental illnesses impacts the way one may view people with mental challenges and disorders as well. This perspective can continue throughout their life, and also be an impediment for them and others to seek professional help. In order to break down the barriers of prejudice and the negative viewpoints towards mental growth, society must normalize speaking on mental health.
One approach to help youth struggling with societal prejudice would be to work alongside licensed therapists in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). As many youth succumb to the negative effects of prejudice such as low self-esteem, the introduction of CBT has proven to better the mental image and perception youth have towards themselves and others. Another area of research that could help advance the manner in which youth respond to prejudice is developmental psychology. This field supports the youth’s early development by looking into certain factors and commonalities that holistically influence their behavior, actions, and characteristics. Licensed therapists reinforce the ideology that the brain, personality, along with one’s thoughts and motivations, can continuously change. By opening up a new workshop in the realm of development psychology, we could uplift the well-being of the youth by transforming the ways in which their brains are programmed, and how they respond to certain negative stimuli in society.
One of the best ways to combat prejudice towards mental health on a full-sized scale is to make it normal to dig deeper and ask questions about mental illness. Keeping an open mind towards this and watching the way people approach mental health can have a huge impact in society. By impacting the environment in school, companies, and even one’s own homes, mental health can be normalized. Having an openness to mental health can help those in society to educate each other. This reduces the fear of speaking about mental disorders, and can create a more positive environment.
The prejudice towards mental health can have a huge impact on society, especially the youth. The negative environment to mental illnesses can impact people’s perspective, and become an impediment for people to express concerns about mental health. In order to change society’s thinking, people must first gain an open mindset towards mental health to create a positive atmosphere.
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