The Main Culprit Behind Teenagers' Reluctance to Seek Help — Stigma
With stress levels increasing among teenagers, mental health has become a prevalent topic. Adolescents now struggle with mental illnesses more than ever in history. Yet, why do teenagers — why do we — avoid seeking help? Today, we will take a deep dive into this topic and explore one of the fundamental reasons why people are reluctant to seek help — stigma.
Stigma is known as a negative attitude associated with a particular characteristic or attribute. This attitude can then become ingrained in a person’s belief system, causing prejudice and potentially leading to discrimination toward those with the stigmatised characteristic — such as having a mental illness diagnosis or taking psychiatric medication. In general, there are a few types of stigma. In this article, we will look into public stigma and self-stigma, the two main types of stigma related to mental health.
Public stigma is defined by the general public holding negative feelings toward certain groups of individuals. Stigma toward people struggling with their mental health may result in the belief that they are less capable, weak, or dangerous to society. Public stigma toward those with mental illnesses or struggling with mental health may lead to bullying, physical violence or harassment, fewer opportunities in school or work, social isolation, and a lack of understanding from friends and family — hence, the absence of a support system. Most importantly, public stigma may cause individuals to internalise public stereotypes and prejudice, leading to self-stigma, which is the internalisation of surrounding negative beliefs and attitudes. Self-stigma can lead to worsening symptoms such as lowered self-esteem and difficulties with social relationships, as individuals believe they are abnormal and may be judged by those around them. Moreover, it could even reduce the likelihood of receiving treatment, as they may refuse help due to the fear of being labelled or stereotyped. A recent study in Hong Kong investigated the relationship between self-stigma and reluctance to seek treatment, using a sample of over 900 HKU students, and found that a higher level of stigma was related to a lower likelihood of having sought psychological help. This established the conclusion that stigma is a barrier to help-seeking, especially for students with symptoms of moderate to severe depression.
With the understanding that stigma is directly correlated to the likelihood of seeking help, it is time for a change — in understanding and in belief — so that those in need can feel safe to reach out and seek the help they deserve. To achieve this goal, it is crucial to understand why stigma exists and what actions could be taken to create change. So, why does stigma exist? In simple terms: a lack of knowledge and understanding. Everything around us subtly perpetuates the negative connotations of mental illness, misrepresenting the community. For example, TV shows tend to portray people with mental illnesses as violent or criminal, or show inaccurate symptoms and stereotypes. On social media, attitudes toward mental illnesses are extreme — some directly push the belief that mental illness is associated with weakness; others highlight only the most severe cases, such as graphic personal testimonies related to suicide attempts, self-harm, psychosis, or other serious mental health crises. This not only makes it “insanely” difficult for people to learn about and understand those struggling with mental health but could even lead to further negative mental health impacts through social contagion (where behaviours spread spontaneously among a group of individuals). Lastly, the common use of clinical terms like “crazy” and “insane” (as shown above — “insanely difficult” doesn’t seem out of place, does it?) can trivialise mental health conditions. These seemingly harmless, casual insults diminish one’s suffering and struggles, reinforcing stigma by normalising the mockery of mental illness.
Finally, how can society help solve this issue? As a society, all that needs to be done is educating ourselves and each other. This can be achieved by involving trained mental health professionals or people with lived experiences of mental health difficulties, providing advice and insight into how those with mental health challenges can be supported. Supported by a study that evaluated the attitudes of people in Hong Kong toward individuals with mental health conditions found that having personal contact with someone with a mental health condition predicted more positive attitudes among the public. It also found that having more knowledge about mental disorders is positively correlated with the likelihood of seeking help. Hence, I believe that by raising awareness, educating the public on mental health, changing our actions and attitudes, and being an example to those around us, stigma can be reduced — allowing those in need to seek the help they deserve.
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