Breaking the Stigma of Mental Health in Older Adults
I wonder why seniors are much less likely to discuss their mental health struggles. It's not just your imagination. Seniors here in Deer Park, Texas, really do struggle more than the younger generations to think about mental health conditions.
A huge part of this reason is because to mental health stigma. Mental health stigma is when people have harmful attitudes about mental health conditions, those who suffer from them, and the treatment options. Breaking the stigma of mental health is an essential part of providing mental health support here in Deer Park, Texas.
Interested in learning more about mental wellness and aging? Read on to find out more about senior awareness in Deer Park, TX.
Understanding Mental Health Stigma
So, what exactly is mental health stigma? According to Mayo Clinic, it's any kind of attitude towards a mental health condition in which the effects aren't quite right, or which is harmful to those with disabilities. Mental health stigma is something found in family units, but you can also find it spreading throughout organizations like hospitals or schools.
The key to combating mental health stigma is education. When you know how to recognize mental health stigma, you can work towards correcting this harmful attitude. Broadly speaking, there are three main categories of mental health stigma, and here's how each of them presents itself.
Breaking the Stigma of Mental Health: Societal Stigma
The first kind of mental health stigma is societal stigma, which spreads through families, towns, and communities through thousands of little interactions. The topic of mental illness is depression, and how people view these topics depends on the prevailing attitudes.
According to an article by Aisling T. O Donnell, if people are dismissive about these conditions, it will not only make people feel less comfortable discussing these topics in the future but also cause them to believe quite negative things about how mental illness works.
For example, let's say that you suspect you might be suffering from depression. Maybe you're considering making an appointment with the doctor. If you're in the grocery store and you overhear people talking about depression at the cash register, and you hear someone say how people with mental illnesses like depression are just lazy and should just get over it, you might rethink booking that appointment.
The societal change in attitude is slow, and no one person can make a difference. Changing societal attitudes is all about slowly shifting attitudes through the generations.
Stigma and Independence: Individual Stigma
There's a problem called internalized stigma, which happens when people believe negative things about themselves because of what society says. For example, if someone hears that everyone gets anxiety or that depression is just an excuse, they might start to believe these negative ideas about mental health.
If a person feels depressed and keeps hearing it's just laziness, they might start thinking that's true about themselves.
This kind of stigma is hard to shake off, as explained by sociologist Mr. X. Negative labels can stick around for a long time, so it's better if they're never used at all.
Internalized stigma makes people feel bad about themselves and stops them from getting help. If you don't believe mental illness is real, you probably won't talk to a doctor about feeling depressed.
Families, healthcare providers, and senior living communities can help fight this stigma. However, these organizations can also sometimes have the same negative attitudes. It's important for everyone to work together to change how we think and talk about mental health.
Organizational Stigma
So, finally, there is institutionalized stigma, and this is when organizations such as hospitals, schools, or workplaces take on a negative attitude towards mental health. Think of it as a kind of societal stigma, but within the social microcosm of an organization. Stigmatized attitudes towards mental health can be a problem for seniors in the healthcare sector, in particular.
Mental health stigma in healthcare organizations can affect seniors because some are still stuck in the past. According to a paper by Charles F Reynold, conditions like depression and anxiety can manifest slightly differently in the older generation. Sadly, these symptoms are often mistaken for normal aging or sometimes for conditions like Alzheimer's or dementia.
The positive news is that things are changing rapidly, but you still might find some clinics where the staff have a dated outlook on senior emotional health. The best way to deal with organizational stigma is for seniors to have support from their family or a senior living community.
It can help to have someone accompany them to medical appointments. If the organization has problematic attitudes, it makes sense to either get a second opinion from another doctor or to simply find another clinic.
Emotional Health and Seniors: Why Are Seniors Vulnerable
So why exactly are seniors so vulnerable to mental health stigma, and why do they need extra aging mental health support? Here are some of the more common reasons:
- Generational factors: Many seniors grew up in times when talking about mental health was simply not done.
- Stoic upbringing: Self-reliance was praised; showing vulnerability felt like weakness.
- Persistent myths: Misunderstandings about what mental illness is (and is not) still linger.
- Provider skepticism: Out-of-date ideas about treatment leave some older adults wary of professionals.
- Old media stigma: Early movies and headlines often framed mental illness as shameful or dangerous.
- Independence worries: Reaching out for help can feel like surrendering control over one's own life.
Breaking the stigma of mental health and addressing these problems will take the combined efforts of:
- Families
- Healthcare organizations
- Senior communities
No single person has the power to break mental health stigma, but with combined effort from the community, we can start to make a difference.
Discover Morada Deer Park
Stigma around mental health in Morada Senior Living still keeps many older adults from seeking the mental health care they deserve. For breaking the stigma of mental health, an open, ongoing conversation is essential. That's the only way to promote real progress in clinics, senior homes, and family settings.
Morada Deer Park puts emotional wellness first every day, offering companionship and practical resources. Interested in independent living with supportive services available? Reach out to arrange a visit or learn more about our Deer Park, TX site.