Despite the growing recognition that mental health is an important aspect of our wellbeing, many people struggle to access treatment and support. Stigma, prejudice and discrimination are still prevalent. This can be subtle or overt and affects political enthusiasm, charitable fundraising and availability of services.
Mental health awareness efforts are a crucial part of breaking down stigma and encouraging help-seeking behaviour. This can include personal narratives shared through the media, television shows and social networks. However, the content produced needs to be carefully crafted and targeted at the specific groups most affected by stigma in order to be effective. The comments below suggest that a key element in the success of mental health awareness is the ability to create content that mirrors real-life experiences and situations, as this has the potential to resonate more deeply with individuals.
One of the main issues with mental health awareness efforts is that they can lead to overpathologising. This is when an individual starts to interpret their negative psychological experiences as being signs of a mental health problem. This is likely due to the fact that, by their very nature, awareness efforts teach people that certain symptoms are common and that they may experience them at some point in their lives.
This can cause some people to change their self-concept and start to act differently, which can then lead to a worsening of their psychological distress. It can also exacerbate the problem of finding help, as those who ask for it are often told that there is no treatment available or that their condition isn’t severe enough.
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