I’ve written a lot about just how bad things are in the universe of mental health. Rates of depression and anxiety illness are rising, particularly among our youngest and college students, and suicide rates are hitting highs which haven’t been seen since World War II. This, of course, is terrible.
Still, life could be a lot worse when it comes to the mental health universe. Here are three reasons to be hopeful in the long-run.
Stigma is decreasing
According to multiple articles, the stigma which surrounds mental health is slow decreasing, but particularly for those who are younger. Many in a younger generation view seeking therapy and getting help as normal – as such, they don’t hesitate to do so. All of these articles note – correctly – that will still have a long way to go before we can consider stigma to be truly “defeated,” but it is worth noting and celebrating that significant progress has been made. Furthermore, the slew of celebrities who have openly discussed their own struggles has furthered humanized the issue and made others realize that suffering from mental illness doesn’t have to hold you back.
The Affordable Care Act is Helping People Get Treatment
The ACA – or Obamacare – has been subjected to no shortage of controversy. However, some things about it are indisputable. One such example is that more people are getting the mental health treatment that they need and deserve – and that they are getting better. ObamaCare required that all individual and small coverage plans offer mental health care, and that the coverage of mental health be similar to what it was for physical coverage. This alone has helped to increase the amount of plans which offer mental health care. The percentage of young people without health insurance dropped from roughly 22% (2013) to 13% (2016), and since young people were more likely to first experience a mental health challenge, this meant that more people had access to the care that they needed.
There’s more, of course. States which expanded Medicaid saw sharper decreases in mental illness than states which hadn’t, resulting in more care, more treatment and a lower financial burden.
There is no doubt: ObamaCcare has helped those with mental illness.
Social Media Has Tremendous Potential For Good
Alright, so I’ve been a bit harsh on social media in my time as a blogger in the mental health world. Just a bit. But it really isn’t all bad. Social media has the potential to be very helpful – and indeed, has been very good for mental illness…if used properly.
Social media, even if it’s just digital, can help promote a sense of connectedness. Sufferers of various mental illnesses can connect with more people and find the assistance that they so desperately need. If it’s users are mature enough, they can provide goals to aspire to and help to push creativity. By keeping users abreast of social opportunities and events, it can help maintain social relationships.
Indeed, for all of the negative press which social media has gotten on mental illness, there is at least one study (which examines adults, not just college or high school students) which shows that it can be positive and result in less psychological distress.
All kidding aside, I think social media can be good for metnal health…but requires literal mental training that I don’t think we possess as of yet. People have to use social media to supplement their social life, not supplant it. They need to recognize that it’s a curated form of life, not real life. And they need to remember that they have plenty of things to feel joyful and proud about, and to not feel jealous of what others put on their newsfeeds. That can be a real challenge, to say the least!
As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts. What else has been good news in the world of mental illness? Let us know in the comments below!
Mike Schlossberg - Author 