Mental Health Awareness And Generation Gap

Backround: Mental illnesses such as depression are more stigmatized in older generation (Generation X) for whom the subject is a complete taboo attached with various misconceptions. The unfortunate complex of inferiority as a mental health patient is usually what widens the generation gap even further. This mind-set actually creates more problems as they choose to avoid accepting the existence of it, consequently setting an even longer path of suffering without therapy. Furthermore, several studies suggested that younger generations have higher levels of mental health literacy, meaning that they are better able to identify signs and symptoms of mental illness and have knowledge of where to seek help. Internet use might be related to MHL in younger generations. However, its relationship with seeking help and a diagnosis is complex. Although younger people report being more comfortable seeking mental help online, this could mean that they do not receive a professional diagnosis. A study conducted by the American University in DC, states that millennial’s who grew up hearing about anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and suicide were more accepting of others with mental illness. One of the factors that really affect the likelihood of conversation around mental health is the notion of choice. Mental illness is never chosen, it is a state of being that needs to be addressed, not concealed. The idea that you can just ‘switch off’ or ‘stop over-thinking’ about your psychological state still exists within the Generation X. Unfortunately, cliché religious and cultural remedies that were passed on from generations to deal with periods of distress were all they had at their disposal. The generation gap actually consists of a gap of misinformation and archaic solutions that need unlearning to understand the evolving mental health disorders of a digitally advanced world where scientific knowledge is easily accessible.