A decade or two previously, mental health was a completely taboo topic. Still, Generation Xers, baby boomers and older Americans don’t find it comfortable to talk about or seek mental health support. Research shows that millennials and Generation Zers are better able to identify signs and symptoms of mental health struggles and have knowledge of where to seek help. They also are more willing to talk about mental health with others and consider how to help someone who is struggling with mental health.
This is great news and means mental health advocates’ and professionals’ work is done, right? Definitely not! While younger generations are more willing to talk about and seek mental health support, there is still a lot of work to be done in promoting mental health awareness, avenues for treatment and more.
How can you promote mental health?
Perhaps the question to start with is, “why?” Let’s dive into the importance of promoting mental health. Consider the fact that nearly half of people with mental health issues don’t receive help for disorders. What is holding Americans back from seeking mental health help? The reasons vary and may include but are not limited to:
- Not knowing where, how or what kind of help to seek.
- Fear of having to unpack their struggles.
- Stigmas against mental health from individual backgrounds, families, friends and others.
- Concern that employers and/or coworkers will judge them.
- Lack of financial resources to seek help.
Promoting healthy mental well-being in the community is crucial because one in five Americans experience a short- or long-term mental health struggle during their life. While some mental health symptoms can be obvious, many are not. Even if you are not personally suffering from a mental health struggle, you never know when a friend, family member, neighbor or coworker is struggling.
To promote mental health awareness and support, the first step is to start a conversation and make it clear that you are an advocate willing to talk about mental health and help someone find support. Start small by talking with a friend about your own mental health, ask how you can support a loved one or simply share a social media post from a local mental health service provider as a passive way to show others you care.
What are 5 ways to improve mental health?
It’s never a bad time to create habits to improve mental health for yourself. And when you prioritize your own mental health, others take notice.
- Start by noticing the signs of common mental health struggles. Whether for yourself or for others, negative mental health symptoms can creep up over time, so it’s important to take a moment to step back and recognize when a bad day or a “phase” is something more.
- Learn about support options. No matter where you are, mental health help is available to you. Resources like Heart of Iowa Community Services (HICS) that are connected to a variety of other community resources can find the best ways to assist with your unique needs. Each county in Iowa is part of the state’s Mental Health and Disability Services Regions that are meant to connect people to support close to home. There are also a variety of national resources available 24/7, such as the 988 National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
- Connect with others. It can be easy to self-isolate if you’re struggling with mental health, but people need to socialize with others. If you or someone you know is isolating, an important piece of healing is talking to those who understand what you’re going through. Find a support group online or in person.
- Listen and learn. Whether you’re working on your own mental health or want to advocate for others, it’s important to listen when someone says they’re struggling. Sometimes people simply want to vent. Always listen first and offer to come up with solutions or a plan to seek mental health support together if others want it.
- Promote healthy habits. Getting the right amount of sleep, eating healthily and staying active are great ways to ensure overall well-being, including mental well-being.
How to promote mental health in the community
While it’s important to talk about and advocate for mental health at home with family and in your social circle, a community that promotes mental health can make a lot of progress in ending the stigma and connecting individuals to mental health support. Here are some ways to promote mental health awareness in the community.
- Attend and spread the news about mental health advocacy events hosted by experts
- Find support groups
- Share information about local supports and national hotlines
- Speak with local journalists and write a guest column about the importance of mental health awareness
- Promote work-life balance at your company and ask business leaders to do the same
- Teach coping strategies
- Encourage healthy lifestyles with exercise, physical activity and well-rounded diets
- Avoid organizing events only centered around substance use, such as drinking alcohol regularly
How to promote mental health in the community
While it’s important to talk about and advocate for mental health at home with family and in your social circle, a community that promotes mental health can make a lot of progress in ending the stigma and connecting individuals to mental health support. Here are some ways to promote mental health awareness in the community.
- Attend and spread the news about mental health advocacy events hosted by experts
- Find support groups
- Share information about local supports and national hotlines
- Speak with local journalists and write a guest column about the importance of mental health awareness
- Promote work-life balance at your company and ask business leaders to do the same
- Teach coping strategies
- Encourage healthy lifestyles with exercise, physical activity and well-rounded diets
- Avoid organizing events only centered around substance use, such as drinking alcohol regularly
How to improve the mental health of students in school
As we know, younger generations are the most willing to talk about mental health and the most capable of recognizing mental health struggles. But they can also be more susceptible to those struggles. Academic pressures from peers, teachers and parents; social dynamics; issues with body image; developing hormones; a lack of control over their lives; past trauma; and more can all wreak havoc on kids’ and teens’ mental health.
Parents and teachers play a vital role in students’ mental health. While all the ways to promote mental health in the community still apply to students, it’s important that parents and teachers recognize the warning signs. Kids and teens often lack the ability to talk about their emotions, so negative mental health struggles often present as negative behavior. If a child is willing to talk to an adult about mental health, it’s important that the adult listens without judgment and doesn’t try to minimize their struggles.
If you suspect your child is struggling, don’t hesitate to seek the help of a school counselor. In fact, organizations like HICS can support educators by providing resources, offering training, and partnering with schools and families to create a treatment plan.
HICS is here to support all members of the community in their journey to better mental health. HICS fills the gaps and connects you and your family with service providers who best fit your needs. We serve individuals from all backgrounds in Audubon, Dallas and Guthrie counties. Reach out at HICSIowa.org.