Mental health can affect those around us, often in different ways, and recently released data from the National Institute of Mental Health estimates that more than one in five American adults suffer from some form of mental health problem, highlighting just how prevalent the issue is in society.
In previous generations, mental health was not widely discussed. In today’s modern society, events such as Mental Health Month and open and honest conversations about mental health have changed the way we talk about it.
For mental health professionals, such as those completing an online DNP PMHNP program, understanding how different generations talk about mental health can help start the conversation. Let’s dive into the world of today’s young people and explore how the environment around them has changed the conversation about mental health.
The story behind the name
Have you ever heard of the Baby Boomers or Millennials? These names may sound strange, but they are demographic labels that have been applied to different segments of the population over time.
Baby Boomers are defined by demographers as those born between 1946 and 1964, the period when America experienced the largest increase in birth rates since the end of the postwar era. Those born after 1964 can fit into one of several generations, including Generation X (1965-1980), Generation Y (1981-1996, also known as Millennials because their adolescent and teenage years occurred in the early part of the new century), and Generation Z (1997-2012).
Why are generational labels important? Although they are not usually useful outside of demographic studies (and the occasional dialogue between older and younger generations), demographic labels can help researchers understand how social changes in attitudes and behaviors vary across groups.
Changing mindset
Consider, for example, how generations have struggled to access treatment for mental illness. Research has shown that at various points in time, mental illness was often stigmatized, and rather than treatment, the “cure” was often seen as imprisoning, torturing, or killing people who suffered from mental illness.
Baby Boomers, born in the years following World War II, often saw firsthand that mental health was treated very differently than it is today. Institutionalization was commonplace, and at its peak in 1955, approximately 560,000 Americans were committed to state psychiatric hospitals for merely being diagnosed with a mental illness. While well-intentioned, psychiatric hospitals were famously not the most appropriate way to provide mental health support.
Even though reforms have been made since the 1960s, it’s no wonder that many Baby Boomers don’t always feel comfortable talking about their mental health.
But in the decades since, there’s been a massive effort to deinstitutionalize psychiatry. This openness to discuss mental health has also changed the conversation for younger generations. No longer afraid of being locked up for poor mental health, Gen Z feels much more empowered to express their feelings, even if it can sometimes seem a bit sudden to older generations.
Normalizing mental health
How can we normalize mental health among our peers? Looking at the example of Gen Z, we see that their openness is partly driven by a generational shift in how mental health is perceived in society.
While Baby Boomers may have been originally reluctant to talk about mental health, their children, whether Gen X or Millennials, are entering a world where there is a wider discussion about mental health and its impacts, although there is still stigma associated with it.
Comedians like Maria Bamford have used their platform to highlight mental illness and speak out about her own mental health struggles which led to multiple psychiatric admissions over 18 months. Other comedians around the world, such as Taylor Tomlinson and Tom Papa, are also using their platforms to destigmatize and normalize mental health.
These conversations will mean young people feel more comfortable discussing their mental health issues than ever before, and rather than feeling isolated and alone when their mental health is affecting them, they will have wider social support and be more likely to receive help than ever before.
Learning from Gen Z
What can mental health professionals learn from the ways Gen Z has normalized mental health conversations? There are broader strategies that can be applied to how professionals discuss mental health with their patients. While they may not work for everyone, they can often help break down barriers that typically exist for older generations.
Reassurance that mental health issues are normal is a powerful tool. For people who have historically experienced mental health not being given the same consideration as physical health, reassurance helps to elicit patients’ concerns in a safe and meaningful way.
Having open and honest discussions about mental health is also a powerful way to combat the stigma associated with it. Knowing that a relative or family member has experienced mental health issues can also provide reassurance that you are not alone in your struggles.
There’s one final lesson we can learn from Gen Z: it reminds us that mental health doesn’t have to be a roadblock. Sure, mental health can sometimes feel like an obstacle to living a fulfilling life, but in reality it rarely is. By starting the conversation and normalizing mental health, we hope that Gen Z’s message of hope and optimism will help change the tone of how we talk about mental health as a society.
