Breaking the stigma: Promoting understanding in behavioral health

The stigma surrounding behavioral health concerns creates barriers to treatment, employment, and in many cases, overall quality of life. What do we mean by stigma? It’s a shared negative opinion or perception about behavioral health concerns and those who experience them.

Approximately one in five adults in the U.S. experiences a mental illness each year, according to the National Council on Aging (ncoa.org). Many people go untreated. Globally, 45 percent of individuals needing behavioral health care do not receive it, often due to the stigma, as well as cost and lack of providers. A full 75 percent of employees say they have experienced burnout, which highlights the need for behavioral health initiatives in workplaces.

Rather than viewing behavioral health issues as a character flaw or something that a person can simply “get over,” our community needs to come together in support of these individuals and make space for healing and recovery.

“The negative stigma makes people feel trapped, as if there’s nowhere to turn for support and assistance,” stated Zach Green, Knox County Health Commissioner. Burnout is a wake-up call before anxiety, depression, and a probable drop in performance may set in. “If we continue to glorify working long hours as ‘dedication,’ the daily ‘grind’ can take a significant toll on employees, ultimately leading to a rapid decline in their performance,” said Green.

What can be done to address this? Managers and HR professionals, for example, can have honest conversations about changing perceptions in the workplace. In addition, workplaces are encouraged to develop policies that make well-being a priority; policies that treat behavioral health concerns just like any other illness, such as cancer. Instead of encouraging an employee to ‘hang tough’ when they mention burnout, encourage them to seek treatment, refer them to sources for care, and provide flexible schedules and other accommodations.

It’s time to work together as a community to fight the stigma, to normalize behavioral health concerns and realize that it’s not “out there”… it is here and it affects all of us.

If you or a loved one is struggling with behavioral health concerns, please call 988 for help or call 211 for community resources. Both numbers are staffed 24/7.The Knox Health Planning Partnership (KHPP) is focused on reducing the stigma around behavioral health and providing resources for everyone. This initiative is the result of data gathered during community health forums. To learn more about KHPP, go to: https://www.knoxhealth.com/about_us/knox_health_planning_partnership.php