The Impact Of Mental Health Misconceptions

The Canadian Huffington Post published an article (2014) about common mental health myths, listing numerous perceptions and attitudes towards mental health and individuals struggling with disorders. It disclosed many common ideals individuals have about mental health, highlighting common harmful misconceptions. These common misconceptions range from a dismissal in the severity of mental illnesses, such as depression and suicidal tendencies, to the thought that people impacted by mental disorder are simply ‘crazy.’ However, all of the mental health myths listed severally threaten an individual’s chances of seeking help and understanding their own disorder. The mental health perceptions listed in the article are common and dangerous due to the lack of support they offer to individuals who have problems with their own mental health. The misconceptions can produce a dismissal of mental disorders’ severity and the importance of detection and treatment. A main myth of the article was the lack of issue of suicide. Suicide is a large and growing problem in the United States of America, accounting for 40,000 deaths annually

In 1996, a study was done to see if patients with psychotherapy sessions had better Mental Health Index scores throughout 3-4 week periods (Howard, K., et al., 1996). The Mental Health Index (MHI) looks at a patient’s subjective well-being, current symptom and life functioning scores (Howard, K., at al). On average, patients with psychotherapy introduced into their treatment had scores in the normal range of the MHI compared to non-psychotherapy patients. When multiple studies were reviewed, 75 percent showed an increase of benefits for individuals who had some form of psychotherapy done (APA, n.d.). Therapy has beneficial results for participants, because it allows them to see that they are able to improve their mental health situations and are not helpless within