Mental health has been the forefront issue recently, especially after the onset of the global pandemic. As non-physical health issues are becoming more accepted around the world, health authorities and governments strive to bring forward plans that will minimize the risks for all affected, directly or not. Activists all over the world are fighting for safe spaces for people of all ethnicities, genders, religious affiliations, and so on to feel comfortable discussing their mental states.
Similar to other spheres, those with mental illnesses from the lower socio-economic class are likely to have less access to the necessary resources. According to Schrick, diagnosing mental illness remains a difficult task that does not provide black-and-white answers. Furthermore, those suffering from such issues are often still met with the stigma of insanity or weakness, depending on the cultural outlook on mental health issues (Austin, 2014). Although mental disorders have one of the most damaging impacts on role functioning, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, as quoted by Austin (2014), they are often disregarded. However, it is difficult to imagine the U.S. taking nationwide action on mental health due to the absence of healthcare for physical health, which is widely accepted as a serious issue. Hence action must be taken to overcome the stigma.
Due to the prevalence of freedom of choice as one of the American values, implementations of such caliber are difficult to get approval for. However, various scholars and health professionals suggest personal interventions such as getting treatment, avoiding the temptation to self-isolate, and speaking out against the stigma (“Mental health: Overcoming the stigma of mental illness,” 2017). Bringing awareness to the issues of mental health and increasing the validity of the such type of disease in the eyes of the public is helpful to the individuals struggling, as well as to the community as a whole.
Reference
Austin, Michael J. (2014). Social Justice and Social Work: Rediscovering a Core Value of the Profession. Web.
Mental health: Overcoming the stigma of mental illness. (2017). MayoClinic. Web.