Mental health is key to the well-being of every individual and, therefore, constitutes a fundamental element for development at the local, national, and global levels. However, it is no secret that it continues to occupy a marginalized position within public health systems, despite its importance.
At De-mentes, we are convinced that the stigma surrounding mental health contributes significantly to this situation of marginalization. This stigma labels people with mental health conditions as violent or unstable, among other erroneous and negative prejudices; this limits the capacities for prevention and promotion of mental health in our country, as well as the social and labor inclusion of individuals with mental health conditions.
For this reason, our organization is dedicated to fighting against stigma in order to change this reality. To assist us in this mission, a few days ago we asked our community on Facebook and Twitter what they consider the best way to combat stigma toward mental health. Below, we present a summary of the contributions we received.
1. Speaking openly about mental health: Most opinions agreed on the importance of generating increasingly open conversations about mental health, where we can all share our stories freely and without fear of prejudice and/or discrimination.
«Sharing stories and speaking freely about our mental health with our family, friends, and colleagues at work» – Marcia Fernández
«Showing real stories that demonstrate how sensitive and important it is to talk about this issue» – Miguel Rojas Cuadros
«Discussing the topic and bringing people closer to the situation» – R Lizbeth L Vera
2. Educating ourselves and staying informed about mental health: Many agreed on the importance of educating about mental health from childhood onward, in order to bring society closer to the topic and gradually eliminate the taboos associated with mental illness.
«Treating it as an important issue within schools. Many children do not know about this or do not know how to recognize the different illnesses a person may have; it is complicated to know how to act in such situations if you are unfamiliar with the topic. It would be great if talks for families and parents were also held at school to learn how to address this issue with their children» – Carolina Arauco Lugo
«Throughout my entire educational life, including university, I never received education on mental health. I believe it would be important for it to be taught in schools, academies, institutes, and universities, whether through campaigns or through a course, whether in biology or psychology» – Luz Paola Yauri Bellido
3. Urging the media to change their language when addressing mental health: It is a priority for the media to correct their language when approaching mental health issues or presenting news involving people with mental health conditions. Unfortunately, stigma is often fueled by these media outlets, rather than them functioning as a source of information and education on the subject.
«Beginning to use correct language in the media. Perhaps producing special features on the topic» – Fiorella Arízaga
4. Being empathetic and learning to listen to and understand what we do not know: It is very important to put ourselves in the other person's shoes and begin to listen with more empathetic and understanding ears to what we do not know. To understand that coping with a mental health issue can be just as difficult as, or even more difficult than, coping with a physical illness.
«Starting to talk and understand without fear!» – Daniela Kisner Gylling
«Discussing it within our circles and practicing » – Marjorie Reymundo Conde
«Speaking openly about mental health and being empathetic» – Luis Ramos Del Castillo
5. Being mindful of our language and that of our social environment: It is important to become aware of the terms we use in our daily lives, as we may be contributing to stigma. Likewise, correcting people in our social environment and urging them to use appropriate terms when speaking about mental health and about individuals with conditions related to it.
«Becoming indignant with every improper term used, whether within our social environment or in the media. Making evident that mental health is as important as physical health and that illnesses related to it are also difficult to cope with» – Lucero Andaluz Llerena
6. Empowering those who have a mental health condition: It is of utmost relevance to work toward providing opportunities for personal and professional development to people with mental health conditions, so that stigma does not constitute an obstacle to living a full life and participating in our society as active citizens.
«Empowering those who suffer from this social problem» – Renato Lopez
Stigma toward mental health is a social issue that brings with it many limitations for millions of people worldwide. It is important that we join forces and that more and more of us fight day by day for an inclusive, empowered, participatory, and stigma-free society, where mental health is positioned as one of the priorities on both the national and global agendas.
#EveryoneForMentalHealth
