The idea of therapy or medication to relieve depression and anxiety has often been taboo in American culture. But depression and anxiety are common in the US. In 2020, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, more than 20 million adults in the United States experienced at least one major depressive episode in the past year.
And according to Anxiety & American Depression Association, anxiety affects 40 million people in the United States.
Recently, celebrities have opened up about their own struggles with anxiety and depression, which experts say can help create a safer space for people who are afraid to open up about their mental health issues.
Recently, “Stitches” singer Shawn Mendes announced that he will be taking a break from performing to focus on his mental health. In a message on Instagram, he announced that he would be postponing three weeks of shows and that the tour had finally brought him to a “breaking point”.
She is not the first celebrity to speak out about mental health issues. Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles missed a week of the Tokyo Games while battling mental health issues. She is now a mental health advocate.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, mental health is our emotional, psychological and social well-being. It affects how we feel and act, and it also contributes to how we manage stress and function in everyday life.
Experts say covering up mental health issues can make symptoms worse.
“The stigmatization of mental health is a result of a lack of awareness, information and education. Without understanding the signs and symptoms of mental health concerns, and without understanding why or how mental health suffers, stigma pushes people to hide that something is wrong and increases suffering,” said Allison Forti, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Assistant Director of the Department for online counseling at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Putting people in the spotlight to be honest about mental health issues can help spur progress in breaking down stigma, experts say.
“When a celebrity brings out their personal mental health issues, they are raising awareness by setting an example of what mental health challenges look like in psychological, cognitive and behavioral terms,” Forti said. “They also inspire the courage needed to reveal their challenges and model the benefits of being transparent—namely, they don’t have to be alone in their suffering, help is available, and there are ways to feel better.”
Forti emphasized that while there are political and social stressors, many people may have personal circumstances that can negatively impact mental health.
“The causes of mental health problems are multifactorial, due to both genetic inheritance and environmental circumstances,” Forti said. “Stressful life situations such as divorce, financial hardship, loss of a loved one, traumatic experiences, chronic illness, adverse childhood events and lack of social support contribute to mental health problems. Sometimes people are born with an inherited risk and stressful life circumstances activate the genetic predisposition. Sometimes people are born with brain chemistry that increases their risk.”
From the protracted pandemic to inflation, the war in Ukraine, and the climate crisis, people have been hit by wave after falling wave of what often feels like impending doom. The American Psychological Association found that these crises contributed to more people experiencing anxiety and depression.
But each generation has also had its share of anxiety-inducing stressors, from events like the Great Depression to World War II, the Vietnam War, and the AIDS epidemic.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, about 19.1 percent of the population age 18 or older struggles with anxiety and depression. But experts say that number may reflect that people are talking openly about anxiety and depression.
Experts say younger generations have now grown up with the notion that mental health is part of overall health and are working to combat the stigma.
“What really encourages me is the attitude of the younger generation that they want to be proud of the work they do. If they can’t be at the top of their game, including mental issues, then they won’t be able to produce work they’re proud of,” said Dr. Ken Yeager, clinical director of the Stress, Trauma and Resilience Program (STAR) at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. “It’s a shift in the American perspective that we need to be more productive instead of doing quality work. Over time, we have an opportunity, certainly with the pandemic, for people to realize that mental health is a big part of physical health.”
But society is changing, and a lot of that is because more people are talking about it, which can normalize the mental health conversation.
“In the oldest generation you had the term ‘suitable for tying.’ It refers to when we put people in straitjackets and the cords at the ends of the arms were tied behind the person’s back,” Yeager said. “If you admitted that you were mentally ill, they put you in an asylum. Of course people didn’t talk about it.”
No matter who you are, you will be exposed to stress and trauma. And while your environment and genetics can affect how well your mind can process stress and trauma, mental health affects us all.
“Mental illness is connected to all parts of society,” Yeager said. “It is inevitable. We need to understand that as our society evolves and as we deal with these challenges, which of course will continue because they have always occurred, we need to focus on mental well-being because that leads to overall quality of life. Here we are talking about the importance of quality of life.”
