Stigma Around Mental Health: Why It Matters in Senior Care
95% of seniors think mental health treatment works, but the majority (61%) would rather take it into their own hands, according to the AARP.
This shocking discrepancy is, unfortunately, likely the result of the stigma around mental health. Emotional health awareness is at an all-time high, and yet the senior care stigma prevents older folks from getting treated. Without modern mental health treatment, it could be a slippery slope into worsening depression and anxiety -- among others, troubling possibilities.
However, there's hope. Understanding the stigma around mental health is the first step. Let's look at why behavioral wellness in seniors is challenging and how to change it in Shelbyville, IN.
What Causes the Stigma around Mental Health?
Aging and mental health go hand in hand, so seniors, more than most, need to take it seriously. Considering what we know about mental health treatment these days, it seems surprising that anyone could be resistant to it. Yet most are, as the AARP study discovered.
The stigma around mental health is a complex issue likely originating from many sources. While we can't cover them all, there are three big ones to understand:
- Generational upbringing
- Bad coping mechanisms
- Senior health misconceptions
None of it is cut and dry. We need to dig deeper. Let's look at each of these issues and see why they impede seniors from getting help.
Generational Upbringing
Older generations have the tendency to say that kids these days are weak, spoiled, or coddled. Whether or not this is true, it has to do with the mindset that they were raised with. Older generations typically come from a time when mental health issues were not only not taken seriously, but actively shamed.
It used to be that claiming to need help with stress or anxiety was more or less an admittance of personal moral failings. Mental issues we commonly recognize today were seen as simply life obstacles one had to get over, nothing more. Getting therapy or taking medication was viewed as surrendering to weakness.
Understandably, people who grew up in that time period (most seniors these days) took that to heart. Even if seniors did (and do) struggle with mental health issues, the deeply ingrained fear of social consequences remains. So despite society being quite open to admitting their issues, seniors clam up instead.
Bad Coping Mechanisms
Coping mechanisms are things that we naturally develop to deal with the hard parts of life. They're particularly popular when it comes to mental health issues. If you've had a depressive episode, for example, taking a swim often dulls the pain a little.
Since we've already established that seniors grew up in an environment that was very oppressive concerning mental health troubles, coping mechanisms were the only thing people had left. So instead of therapy and antidepressants, seniors went hiking or worked on muscle cars. While these healthy coping mechanisms are not the end-all be-all for treating mental health, they're good strategies for managing it.
Having said that, there is still the very real possibility that a senior has developed bad coping mechanisms. These are mechanisms that do provide some relief, but are destructive to a senior's life. Think things like going for a joyride in a car, or having too much to drink.
Senior Health Misconceptions
Something that doesn't get talked about enough is how a senior's primary decision-maker can impact their grief and depression. In particular, the misunderstandings that a healthcare professional or family member might have about the cause of mental difficulties. Even when that misunderstanding is based on some form of reality.
It's correct that seniors do experience a general health decline as they enter their twilight years. Mentally and physically, they aren't as good as they once were. But this creates an unfortunate consequence where real mental health issues, like depression, are mistakenly categorized as just more aging.
In fairness, it is all too common for seniors to develop depression in response to losing their independence, with things like assisted living support. But seniors may discover late in life that they've had unaddressed mental health issues for years. Yet they're unable to get the proper treatment they need because those around them poo-poo it as just typical old people stuff.
Dismantling the Mental Health Stigma
Now we've got a fairly strong understanding of why this stigma exists and how it stops seniors from getting mental health treatment. The next question is how we dismantle the stigma around mental health. It'll be difficult, but there are some things that you can try.
Replace Bad Information with Good
Despite all the progress we've made over the years in promoting mental health treatment, a ton of misconceptions and false ideas linger. The only way to combat these is with correct information based in science. False ideas can't survive long when people are armed with education.
Putting that in more practical terms, teach your seniors the truth: mental health treatment works. The more they hear it, the more likely they are to seek it out. It could be just the thing they need to overcome those remaining reservations that impede them.
Substitute Bad Coping Mechanisms for Good
Those good coping mechanisms can stay, but the bad ones have to go. So, seniors have to unlearn whatever harmful techniques they have for managing their mental health. As luck would have it, there are countless healthy techniques out there for everyone to replace the bad coping mechanisms with.
Enjoying a walk in the garden, taking painting classes, or playing bingo are all examples. Really, the list is infinite. Seniors just need to find the one that works for them.
Find Your Community in Shelbyville, IN
There's a strong stigma around mental health for the elderly. It likely stems from the way their parents raised them, the coping mechanisms they self-learned, and misdiagnoses of elderly illness. Fortunately, stigmas can be wiped out by educating the public and introducing better coping strategies.
Walker Place Assisted Living in Shelbyville, IN, is a friendly community for those struggling with mental illness. Our amenities and services may be just the coping strategy a senior needs -- and that's just the beginning. Come schedule a tour with us and see how our community is the best choice for your senior.