No.
8 / December/October 2019
Mental Health
Mental Health Over the Years
Written By: Amulya Bandari
If someone broke their arm or their stomach hurts,
what is the first thing they would do? They would
probably get some medicine, go to a doctor or seek
some kind of treatment. However, there are countless
individuals who have treatable health problems just as
serious as a bodily injury. However, unlike physical
illnesses, those who suffer from mental illnesses keep it
a secret or do not get the treatment necessary. Why is
that? This is due to the stigma around mental health.
Fortunately, the recent mental health awareness
movement has helped decrease stigma. This new
movement is fighting for mental illnesses to be taken
just as serious as bodily illnesses, and it has made some
promising moves, however, much still needs to change.
To understand the stigma around mental illnesses, we
must look at the past. Throughout history, those
diagnosed with mental illness were persecuted and
abused. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, mental
illness was considered a taboo topic. Those struggling
with anxiety, depression, or other illnesses that are not
as noticeable were completely ignored. Those who had
schizophrenia, ADHD, or similar conditions that
affected behavior were thrown into asylums. These
asylums were underfunded, overcrowded, and filled
with abuse. Inhumane methods were used on those
living in these asylums. Many were locked away in
solitary confinement for years, and many were
severally abused. In some cases, unnecessary and
unethical constraints were involved. Lobotomization, a
procedure where a part of the frontal lobe is removed,
and shock therapy, where electric shocks of different
intensities were passed through the brain, were popular
treatments at the time. These were originally done in
the hopes to improve the patient’s condition, however
it was soon used for unnecessary reasons, such as bad
behavior. In the end, the Lobotomizations and shock
therapy that took place in the 1960s left many mentally
crippled and in worse condition. In addition, those who
had mental illnesses were also forcibly sterilized in
order to prevent the spread of these illnesses. By the
end of the decade, an estimated 19,000 forced surgical
sterilized and 50,000 lobotomizations took place
(Yohanna).
The main cause for the stigma and mistreatment of
those with mental illness is due to the mystery around
the topic. Much was not known about mental health
and this led to fear which soon turned into abuse and
mistreatment. The stigma around mental illnesses
changed as the horrors of what took place in these
asylums was released to the public. This led to the
deinstitutionalization movement throughout the 1970s,
which shut down many mental health asylums
(Yohanna). The world of medicine was also evolving
during this time, and more was being discovered about
mental illnesses and its causes. It was concluded that
mental illnesses were a result of chemical imbalances
in the brain. Therefore, treatment methods shifted from
institutionalism to medicine with new drugs such as
Prozac for depression and Abilify for Schizophrenia in
the 1980s (Cooper). However, treatment was still
extremely exclusive and expensive. Even with the
expansion of Medicare, the treatment of mental illness
was sidelined and underfunded. Even insurance
companies were also not required to cover costs of
mental health medications and therapy. This continued
into the early 2000s until people began to take mental
health more seriously.
During the turn of the century, a series of tragic events
and cases took place that showed the world that mental
health needs more attention. One of these infamous
events is the Andrea Yate’s case, where Mrs. Yates
murdered her five children after not receiving the
proper treatment for her Post Partem Depression
(CNN). With pharmaceutical companies trying to
commercialize treatment of mental illness and
shocking cases such as the Yates case, there was a huge
push in legislative reform. In 2008, The United States
passed the Federal Parity, which changed the mental
health care field. It required insurance companies to
cover mental illnesses just like physical illnesses
(Mantel). This made treatments more accessible to
people who needed it. However, treatment for mental
illness has mainly been focused on medication rather
than addressing the causes of mental illness. The topic
of mental illness is still in the shadow, and this is
where the conversation has remained to this day.
Now, there is a Mental Health Movement. This
movement has changed the public’s views of this topic
by decreasing the misconceptions against mental
illness. People have begun to focus on determining the
causes of these illnesses rather than simply trying to
treat or manage the symptoms. Treatments such as
lifestyle changes like exercise and dietary
modifications have also emerged as an alternative to
medication. With the aid of the Mental Health
Movement and continual advances in the field, the
stigma around mental illness will continue to diminish
and more will understand the importance of taking care
one’s mental health.
The Mental Health Movement also took advantage of
the media to propel its movement. Originally, the
movement started with tweets, hashtags and personal
stories being shared online. Due to the immense impact
of social media and mainstream media, the movement
gained support almost immediately. People were able
to empathize with people suffering from mental health
issues and were able to see them from a perspective. It
capitalized its emotionally compelling message, which
aided in shifting public opinion. Social media
influencers and other prominent figures quickly spoke
out in support of the movement, and some also shared
their own stories. People such as Opera Winfrey,
Barack Obama and Prince Harry have started to
advocate for mental health, aiding in the popularity and
impact of the movement. It has garnered international
recognition and its impact has continued to grow.
One of the impacts of the Mental Health Movement is
the focus on the cause of mental illness. Some studies
have revealed that bullying, especially during the
childhood, has negative effects on mental health and
increases the chances of developing a mental illness.
Prominent figures such as Lady Gaga have taken it
upon themselves to aid in this crisis. Lady Gaga has
come out and shared her personal story of being
bullied, which negatively impacted her mental health.
Many of her fans have also reached out to her about
bullying. Due to this, in 2011, she started The Born
This Way Foundation, which provides support for
vulnerable children and helps prevent bullying to
improve overall mental health (BornThisWay).
Through the foundation, she has stared youth
empowerment program in more than 20 schools in her
local area to improve overall mental health. The
message has spread her message throughout the
country with national anti-bullying programs taking
root. The United States government nearly doubled its
funding for stopbullying.gov. The movement gained
nationwide support and the results are promising. By
2015, the movement has caused a 28% decrease in
bullying nationwide (ed). This has led to a decrease in
mental illness caused by bullying and a better school
environment overall (NCBI).
The Mental Health Movement has also helped
decreased the stigma and common misconceptions of
mental illness. One popular example of this is when
President Donald Trump made a negative comment
about the topic. Shortly after the Margery Stoneman
Douglas shooting, President Trump quickly responded
to mass shootings by pointing the blame at mental
illness. At a rally in New Hampshire earlier this year,
President Trump stated, “I think we have to start
building institutions again because, you know, if you
look at the '60s and '70s, so many of these institutions
were closed...But a lot of our conversation has to do
with the fact that we have to open up institutions. We
can't let these people be on the streets." Not only did he
mention reopening institutions, but he also referred to
people with mental illnesses as “monsters (CBSNews).
Many took to the internet to quickly respond to these
accusations. They used the hashtags #mentalhealth,
#mentalhealthawareness and #endthestigma to correct
the common misconception. Since people were able to
stand up to comments made by the President, it shows
how far we have come in accepting mental illnesses as
real illnesses. Even predominant figures in the Mental
Health advocacy field responded to President Trump’s
accusation. Angela Kimball, the acting CEO of
National Alliance on Mental Illness, released a
statement to respond to President Trump, which states,
“Words matter, Mr. President. ‘These people’ are our
friends, neighbors, children, spouses. They’re not
'monsters,' 'the mentally ill' or 'crazy people' – they’re
us. Talking about reinstitutionalization only further
marginalizes and isolates the one in five people with
mental illness. Instead, we need to be talking about the
power of early treatment and effective intervention to
change lives (NAMI).” She further explains that
institutionalization has terrible consequences and that
there are alternative forms of treatment, such of
lifestyle changes that have a higher success rate.
Thanks to this debacle occurring, these common
misconceptions were corrected and circulated the
internet.
Furthermore, like stated previously, alternative forms
of treatment have been on the rise due to the Mental
Health Movement. Originally, medical treatment,
which may not work for everybody, was seen as the
only way for mental health treatment. Through the
Mental Health Movement, many have been sharing
alternative forms of treatment that can work with
medication to get the best results. According Boston
University College of Health and Rehabilitation
Sciences, studies have shown that the use of alternative
forms of treatment, such as self-help, diet, expressive
therapy etc., coupled with medication produce the best
results in battling mental illness (bu). Technology has
also aided in finding alternative ways to cope. Now,
there are more than 10,000 apps aid those with mental
illness. Previously, pharmaceutical companies hid
alternative forms of medication so they could capitalize
on the industry. However, due to the Mental Health
Movement, information about alternative treatment has
been released to the public. This has become so
successful that now the American Psychological
Association agrees that to receive the best results for
mental health treatment, to use a combination of
medication and lifestyle changes (Walsh).
The main goal for the Mental Health Movement is to
provide more resources to those with mental illness,
which can come in the form of aid, medical
advancements and research. This mainly comes in the
form of government funding. The government funds
millions of dollars into treating physical illnesses, but
how come they do not provide the same benefits to
those with mental illnesses? Just like physical illnesses,
those who have mental illnesses require proper medical
treatment. The problem came to light again due to the
recent suicide crisis. In recent years, suicide, especially
in teens, has been on the rise. Teen suicide recently
reached a 13-year high of 6.7 deaths per 100,000 teens
(Lyons). Suicide is also the second-leading cause of
death among 13- to 19-year-olds, after unintended
injury and before homicides (Lyons). With the
momentum of the Mental Health Movement, increase
in funding was provided to aid Mental Health. In 2018,
the funding for The Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Servies Administration (SAMHSA) increase by
$306 million, the research funding for National
Institute of Mental Health (NIMA) increased by $109.8
million and the funding for Department of Veterans
Affairs’ Mental Health Servies and Programs increased
by $580 million. Overall, NIMA will have a $3 billion
increase in funding (NAMI). This would have not been
possible without the nationwide pressure created by the
Mental Health Movement.
So, after all this progress, what will happen next? If the
conversation continues as it is and the topic of mental
illness is still trending, there will continue to be more
change and there will be a positive impact on those
with mental illness. The movement needs to continue
to be an active part of social media and national news.
If the movement is publicized and continues to grow,
then there will be more awareness about Mental Illness.
This will help combat the stigma and common
misconceptions of mental illness. More people will get
involved and more people will become aware. The
main goal is to make sure the conversation does not
stop. In the past, mental health was a taboo, which led
to horrible consequences. If the movement continues as
it is now, then there will be more investment in
preventing mental illness. If the public complies with
preventative measures, then mental illness can diminish
significantly. As technology improves, new forms of
alternative treatment will be discovered, leading to a
more effective way to combat mental illness.
Furthermore, more recognition of the problem will lead
to an increase in funding to stop the problem. To
increase funding, there needs to be more pressure from
the citizens for mental health policy reform, which will
happen if the movement continues as it is now. Overall,
the movement is only just staring. With the continued
conversation, pressure and fighting for mental illness,
the mental health will be taken just as seriously as
physical health.
Citations
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Cooper, Mary H. “Prozac.” 19 Aug. 1994.
Godlasky, Anne, and Alia E. Dastagir. “Suicide Rate
up 33% in Less than 20 Years, Yet Funding Lags
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