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Imagine living everyday feeling overwhelmed by depression and/or anxiety. Feeling alone because you are not aware of supporting resources, or you cannot afford professional help. Mental health has always existed, but as a society we have not always spoken about it openly. This essay will explore the history of mental health, the mental health crisis in the United States, how to improve as a country, mental health awareness, self-care, and how to help another person that is experiencing mental health. Mental health has always existed, but society has not always spoken about it openly; therefore, increasing mental health awareness, improving access to support resources, and encouraging open conversations can help people struggling with mental health feel less alone and better supported.
We shall begin with the history of mental health as it did not always look the same. In The History of Mental Health Treatment, by MyMichigan Health, it explains the journey of mental health from the 1800's to the 2020's. The history began in the 1800's when, "the first private hospitals, known as almshouses, for those with severe symptoms of mental illnesses and the infirmed elderly, were created" (MyMichigan Health). Next, in the 1890's patients began being transferred from almshouses to crowded asylums until the 1950's when asylums ended. Then, in the 1950's-1960's doctors began outpatient clinics, American Association for Partial Hospitalization (AAPH), as not every mental illness required multiple days and nights under doctors' care. Outpatient care were patients that suffered from only addiction, and that changed in the 1990's, when outpatient care began to include mental illness as well. Fast forward to current day, the Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP), "specialize in addictions and those that treat specific mental illnesses, such as eating disorders, bipolar, PTSD, as well as general mental illness" (MyMichigan Health).
First, due to the history of mental health, there was a negative stigma through the eyes of society. The words used to describe mental health over the centuries were not positive, uplifting or supportive. The descriptive words included, severe, asylum, psychiatric, and electric shock therapy. This small list of words greatly impacted the true awareness of mental health. People began to think that those suffering with a mental illness are lesser, and that something was wrong with them. The negative stigma resulted in people struggling silently and prevented them from seeking appropriate help. People chose to suffer in silence to feel equal in society, rather than feel like the common term, "black sheep". This negative view of mental health lasted until around 2019 when the United States, and other countries, were in the Covid-19 pandemic.
Before the Covid-19 pandemic, people ignored mental health or masked mental health by keeping busy. Some distractions consisted of working, attending gatherings, sports, video games, and sometimes included alcohol and/or drug use. The pandemic changed everything in what seemed to happen overnight. The country shutdown. People lost their jobs, while some people continued working but with restrictions, schools closed until they began online schooling, and there were mandates to avoid gatherings such as parties, celebrations, and sports.
On the other hand, the Covid-19 pandemic influenced mental health awareness in a positive way. After centuries of ignoring mental health and feeling ashamed by it, the pandemic forced the country to slow down. Without the distractions of the mind, people had no choice but to allow themselves to feel what they have masked for decades. Society began to talk. Whether it was talking to friends and family, sharing stories on social media, or seeking professional help from physicians and therapists, mental health awareness grew.
However, the growth of mental health awareness, gave society more insight on the mental health crisis that the United States is currently experiencing. The biggest issues the United States is currently facing with mental health is the lack of equality for its' financial cost and availability, shortage of resources, and the increased rates in suicides and overdoses post pandemic. In the article, More Demand, Inadequate Supply, Higher Cost: An Examination of America's Behavioral Health Crisis, by Trilliant Health, the authors speak about these issues of the mental health crisis in recent years. Trilliant Health states, "the behavioral health crisis does not affect all Americans equally. Prevalence, mortality, access and treatment rates vary dramatically by age, race, insurance status and geography" (Patton et al.). The article also says, "the U.S. behavioral health crisis is becoming more complex, more costly and increasingly misaligned with the system intended to treat it. Demand for behavioral health care has surged in the years following the pandemic, but the number of providers, availability of services and access to affordable care have not kept pace with that growing need" (Patton et al.). Ultimately, the lack of equality is disheartening. Although mental health does not discriminate and it can look different from person to person, there are higher percentages of mental illness for those that are multiracial and live in poverty. Those that fall under these categories should not be faulted by not being able to afford genuine care for their well-being.
Now, if we do not address this mental health crisis, there are heavy repercussions we will continue to experience in society. Long-term negative effects can result in lower life expectancy, increase crime, increase homelessness, increase economic cost, and even families can be affected. It is literally a domino effect. When funds are minimal, it means that accessibility and resources are minimal, which then results in people not receiving the help they may need to live a healthy life. When a person is experiencing mental illness, some may not be able to hold job, then they become homeless, and even resort to criminal activity to obtain their necessities (food, beverages, etc.) and/or to support their substance abuse, if they fall down that path. To give more insight, the article with Trilliant Health says, "in 2019, mental health and substance use disorders together accounted for approximately $200B in U.S. healthcare spending" (Patton et al.). This statement was then followed by, "the more consequential number may be the cost of what goes untreated: untreated mental illness cost the U.S. economy $477.5B in 2024 and is projected to exceed 1.3T annually by 2040" (Patton et al.). Understand that there will never be an actual "solution" for mental health because there is not just one singular cause of mental health. A person can experience mental illness in many ways such as, genetics, imbalance of hormones, substance abuse, environmental influences, and even technology. If we do not begin improving mental health and mental health awareness, the economy will continue to go downward, and people will continue to suffer both internally and physically.
Equally important, there are short-term solutions for mental health such as seeking professional help, medication, physical activity, minimizing smartphone use, and pets.
First, professional help consists of scheduling an appointment with your primary physician, a therapist, or psychiatrist. As professionals they may provide you with resources, and/or they may prescribe medication if applicable. I feel that I should stress that professional care, therapy, and medication are nothing to be embarrassed about. There was a negative stigma for centuries that once allowed people to feel like they were crazy, insane, and unwell. That is not the truth though. Therapy is meant to help you grow by learning how to understand inner thoughts and feelings, work through past trauma, improve your emotional awareness, and learn different coping techniques. The purpose of medication is to balance your hormones, manage negative thoughts, reduce your anxiety, improve or regulate your mood, and improve your sleep and energy.
Now, to improve your mental health with physical activity, you can go for a walk, hike, run, do yoga, and even gardening. These are just a few examples of ways to get your body moving. Physical activity improves sleep, releases positive feeling chemicals in your brain, and helps with lowering your stress, which then gives you more energy and eases depression and anxiety. In addition to easing depression and anxiety, minimizing smartphone use is so impactful! News reporter, Meg Oliver, with CBS News, interviewed psychiatrist, Brent Nelson, on the recent studies of how smartphones impact human health. In summary, he shows MRI images of a human brain that is addicted to a smartphone. Ideally, you'd want to see a clean MRI of the human brain, but addictive brain will result in a colorful MRI. The colors show where the brain is being overworked. Dr. Nelson proceeds to say, "we're just starting to see these changes, and we know they are connected to behavioral changes like depression, anxiety. The dangers are hiding in there" (New Study Shows Impact" 01:57-02:11). Put down smartphones and increase your physical activity to improve your own mental health.
Moving forward to my personal favorite, pets! There are many positives of having a pet and some examples are that they have positive energy, make you feel seen, show unconditional love, are affectionate, and some pets (ex. Dogs) require physical activity. Steven Feldman shares in his article with Human Animal Bond Research Institute (Harbi), "Researchers say the health benefits of pets go far beyond taking a dog for daily walks - positive interactions with pets trigger the release of oxytocin, endorphins, and prolactin (a nurturing hormone) in humans" (Feldman).
Thus, there are options and actions we can take to improve our mental health, improving the larger issues of mental health is quite different. Jack Hazan, the author of How to Make Mental Health Care More Accessible and Affordable with Modern Therapy Group states, "Ensuring that everyone has access to mental health providers and services is key to the well-being of individuals and communities. Mental health care access means more people can receive the treatment they need from mental health care providers, whether that's medication or other forms of treatment. Making mental healthcare more accessible helps bridge the gap for those who have long struggled with mental health issues in silence. Access to behavioral health services can significantly reduce the severity of symptoms and improve overall physical and mental health" (Hazan). Primarily politicians and the government must revisit how tax dollars are being spent. Unfortunately, we currently have a president, whom I refuse to say the name of, that does not believe in equality or helping those that are not in his tax bracket. Hopefully when his term ends, we will have a leader of our country that genuinely cares about the wellbeing of every person living in the United States and how to ensure mental health care is accessible and affordable for all. In the time being, society can help improve our country and begin seeing change. Change begins with being aware of mental health, understanding it, and learning how to help others that are experiencing mental illness. Spreading awareness can be done by having conversations. Conversations can result in obtaining additional resources, educating each other by sharing personal experience, may reassure others that they are not alone, and possibly even build relationships with others that are going through the same things as you.
Additionally, these changes can decrease the number of suicides and overdoses. There is no price for saving a life. It's also important that we know how to help another person that is experiencing mental illness or having an episode. Ways to help another person during a mental health crisis are to educate yourself about mental health challenges, to listen without judgment, provide reassurance, encourage self-help, check in on them regularly, be patient, be kind, and be mindful.
In conclusion, mental health has always existed, and it will never go away. For generations we viewed mental health through a negative lens which resulted in silent struggles, internal pain. Although the Covid-19 pandemic encouraged people to share their stories, which ultimately increased mental health awareness, normalized mental health, and allowed society to change the negative stigma, the United States still greater challenges. We need to prioritize making mental health care available for everyone. That includes the government reviewing the cost of health care, providing more resources and providers, and decreasing the number of people that are not being treated to begin seeing a decline in suicides and overdoses. As a society there are actions we can take as individuals to see improvement such as seeking professional help, increasing physical activity, limiting smartphone usage, and spending time with pets. In addition, we need to educate others on mental health, how to identify when someone is struggling, and know how to help when someone is distressed. We can help one another by listening without judgement, provide reassurance, encourage self-help, check in on them regularly, be patient, kind and mindful. People should not be embarrassed or ashamed of their mental health. It is important to have conversations and understand that you are not alone. Overall, by improving awareness, having conversations, and making resources accessible for everyone, we will create a healthier society. Our society will begin to feel safe as people will feel supported, understood, and seek help.
Imagine living everyday feeling overwhelmed by depression and/or anxiety. Feeling alone because you are not aware of supporting resources, or you cannot afford professional help. Mental health has always existed, but as a society we have not always spoken about it openly. This essay will explore the history of mental health, the mental health crisis in the United States, how to improve as a country, mental health awareness, self-care, and how to help another person that is experiencing mental health. Mental health has always existed, but society has not always spoken about it openly; therefore, increasing mental health awareness, improving access to support resources, and encouraging open conversations can help people struggling with mental health feel less alone and better supported.
We shall begin with the history of mental health as it did not always look the same. In The History of Mental Health Treatment, by MyMichigan Health, it explains the journey of mental health from the 1800's to the 2020's. The history began in the 1800's when, "the first private hospitals, known as almshouses, for those with severe symptoms of mental illnesses and the infirmed elderly, were created" (MyMichigan Health). Next, in the 1890's patients began being transferred from almshouses to crowded asylums until the 1950's when asylums ended. Then, in the 1950's-1960's doctors began outpatient clinics, American Association for Partial Hospitalization (AAPH), as not every mental illness required multiple days and nights under doctors' care. Outpatient care were patients that suffered from only addiction, and that changed in the 1990's, when outpatient care began to include mental illness as well. Fast forward to current day, the Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP), "specialize in addictions and those that treat specific mental illnesses, such as eating disorders, bipolar, PTSD, as well as general mental illness" (MyMichigan Health).
First, due to the history of mental health, there was a negative stigma through the eyes of society. The words used to describe mental health over the centuries were not positive, uplifting or supportive. The descriptive words included, severe, asylum, psychiatric, and electric shock therapy. This small list of words greatly impacted the true awareness of mental health. People began to think that those suffering with a mental illness are lesser, and that something was wrong with them. The negative stigma resulted in people struggling silently and prevented them from seeking appropriate help. People chose to suffer in silence to feel equal in society, rather than feel like the common term, "black sheep". This negative view of mental health lasted until around 2019 when the United States, and other countries, were in the Covid-19 pandemic.
Before the Covid-19 pandemic, people ignored mental health or masked mental health by keeping busy. Some distractions consisted of working, attending gatherings, sports, video games, and sometimes included alcohol and/or drug use. The pandemic changed everything in what seemed to happen overnight. The country shutdown. People lost their jobs, while some people continued working but with restrictions, schools closed until they began online schooling, and there were mandates to avoid gatherings such as parties, celebrations, and sports.
On the other hand, the Covid-19 pandemic influenced mental health awareness in a positive way. After centuries of ignoring mental health and feeling ashamed by it, the pandemic forced the country to slow down. Without the distractions of the mind, people had no choice but to allow themselves to feel what they have masked for decades. Society began to talk. Whether it was talking to friends and family, sharing stories on social media, or seeking professional help from physicians and therapists, mental health awareness grew.
However, the growth of mental health awareness, gave society more insight on the mental health crisis that the United States is currently experiencing. The biggest issues the United States is currently facing with mental health is the lack of equality for its' financial cost and availability, shortage of resources, and the increased rates in suicides and overdoses post pandemic. In the article, More Demand, Inadequate Supply, Higher Cost: An Examination of America's Behavioral Health Crisis, by Trilliant Health, the authors speak about these issues of the mental health crisis in recent years. Trilliant Health states, "the behavioral health crisis does not affect all Americans equally. Prevalence, mortality, access and treatment rates vary dramatically by age, race, insurance status and geography" (Patton et al.). The article also says, "the U.S. behavioral health crisis is becoming more complex, more costly and increasingly misaligned with the system intended to treat it. Demand for behavioral health care has surged in the years following the pandemic, but the number of providers, availability of services and access to affordable care have not kept pace with that growing need" (Patton et al.). Ultimately, the lack of equality is disheartening. Although mental health does not discriminate and it can look different from person to person, there are higher percentages of mental illness for those that are multiracial and live in poverty. Those that fall under these categories should not be faulted by not being able to afford genuine care for their well-being.
Now, if we do not address this mental health crisis, there are heavy repercussions we will continue to experience in society. Long-term negative effects can result in lower life expectancy, increase crime, increase homelessness, increase economic cost, and even families can be affected. It is literally a domino effect. When funds are minimal, it means that accessibility and resources are minimal, which then results in people not receiving the help they may need to live a healthy life. When a person is experiencing mental illness, some may not be able to hold job, then they become homeless, and even resort to criminal activity to obtain their necessities (food, beverages, etc.) and/or to support their substance abuse, if they fall down that path. To give more insight, the article with Trilliant Health says, "in 2019, mental health and substance use disorders together accounted for approximately $200B in U.S. healthcare spending" (Patton et al.). This statement was then followed by, "the more consequential number may be the cost of what goes untreated: untreated mental illness cost the U.S. economy $477.5B in 2024 and is projected to exceed 1.3T annually by 2040" (Patton et al.). Understand that there will never be an actual "solution" for mental health because there is not just one singular cause of mental health. A person can experience mental illness in many ways such as, genetics, imbalance of hormones, substance abuse, environmental influences, and even technology. If we do not begin improving mental health and mental health awareness, the economy will continue to go downward, and people will continue to suffer both internally and physically.
Equally important, there are short-term solutions for mental health such as seeking professional help, medication, physical activity, minimizing smartphone use, and pets.
First, professional help consists of scheduling an appointment with your primary physician, a therapist, or psychiatrist. As professionals they may provide you with resources, and/or they may prescribe medication if applicable. I feel that I should stress that professional care, therapy, and medication are nothing to be embarrassed about. There was a negative stigma for centuries that once allowed people to feel like they were crazy, insane, and unwell. That is not the truth though. Therapy is meant to help you grow by learning how to understand inner thoughts and feelings, work through past trauma, improve your emotional awareness, and learn different coping techniques. The purpose of medication is to balance your hormones, manage negative thoughts, reduce your anxiety, improve or regulate your mood, and improve your sleep and energy.
Now, to improve your mental health with physical activity, you can go for a walk, hike, run, do yoga, and even gardening. These are just a few examples of ways to get your body moving. Physical activity improves sleep, releases positive feeling chemicals in your brain, and helps with lowering your stress, which then gives you more energy and eases depression and anxiety. In addition to easing depression and anxiety, minimizing smartphone use is so impactful! News reporter, Meg Oliver, with CBS News, interviewed psychiatrist, Brent Nelson, on the recent studies of how smartphones impact human health. In summary, he shows MRI images of a human brain that is addicted to a smartphone. Ideally, you'd want to see a clean MRI of the human brain, but addictive brain will result in a colorful MRI. The colors show where the brain is being overworked. Dr. Nelson proceeds to say, "we're just starting to see these changes, and we know they are connected to behavioral changes like depression, anxiety. The dangers are hiding in there" (New Study Shows Impact" 01:57-02:11). Put down smartphones and increase your physical activity to improve your own mental health.
Moving forward to my personal favorite, pets! There are many positives of having a pet and some examples are that they have positive energy, make you feel seen, show unconditional love, are affectionate, and some pets (ex. Dogs) require physical activity. Steven Feldman shares in his article with Human Animal Bond Research Institute (Harbi), "Researchers say the health benefits of pets go far beyond taking a dog for daily walks - positive interactions with pets trigger the release of oxytocin, endorphins, and prolactin (a nurturing hormone) in humans" (Feldman).
Thus, there are options and actions we can take to improve our mental health, improving the larger issues of mental health is quite different. Jack Hazan, the author of How to Make Mental Health Care More Accessible and Affordable with Modern Therapy Group states, "Ensuring that everyone has access to mental health providers and services is key to the well-being of individuals and communities. Mental health care access means more people can receive the treatment they need from mental health care providers, whether that's medication or other forms of treatment. Making mental healthcare more accessible helps bridge the gap for those who have long struggled with mental health issues in silence. Access to behavioral health services can significantly reduce the severity of symptoms and improve overall physical and mental health" (Hazan). Primarily politicians and the government must revisit how tax dollars are being spent. Unfortunately, we currently have a president, whom I refuse to say the name of, that does not believe in equality or helping those that are not in his tax bracket. Hopefully when his term ends, we will have a leader of our country that genuinely cares about the wellbeing of every person living in the United States and how to ensure mental health care is accessible and affordable for all. In the time being, society can help improve our country and begin seeing change. Change begins with being aware of mental health, understanding it, and learning how to help others that are experiencing mental illness. Spreading awareness can be done by having conversations. Conversations can result in obtaining additional resources, educating each other by sharing personal experience, may reassure others that they are not alone, and possibly even build relationships with others that are going through the same things as you.
Additionally, these changes can decrease the number of suicides and overdoses. There is no price for saving a life. It's also important that we know how to help another person that is experiencing mental illness or having an episode. Ways to help another person during a mental health crisis are to educate yourself about mental health challenges, to listen without judgment, provide reassurance, encourage self-help, check in on them regularly, be patient, be kind, and be mindful.
In conclusion, mental health has always existed, and it will never go away. For generations we viewed mental health through a negative lens which resulted in silent struggles, internal pain. Although the Covid-19 pandemic encouraged people to share their stories, which ultimately increased mental health awareness, normalized mental health, and allowed society to change the negative stigma, the United States still greater challenges. We need to prioritize making mental health care available for everyone. That includes the government reviewing the cost of health care, providing more resources and providers, and decreasing the number of people that are not being treated to begin seeing a decline in suicides and overdoses. As a society there are actions we can take as individuals to see improvement such as seeking professional help, increasing physical activity, limiting smartphone usage, and spending time with pets. In addition, we need to educate others on mental health, how to identify when someone is struggling, and know how to help when someone is distressed. We can help one another by listening without judgement, provide reassurance, encourage self-help, check in on them regularly, be patient, kind and mindful. People should not be embarrassed or ashamed of their mental health. It is important to have conversations and understand that you are not alone. Overall, by improving awareness, having conversations, and making resources accessible for everyone, we will create a healthier society. Our society will begin to feel safe as people will feel supported, understood, and seek help.
