This is an excellent reminder that there is not a single solution that will solve the mental health issue for every person, group, and community. Partly because where you live is a significant determinant of our results.
My wife works in higher education, and we often discuss the correlation between college success and one’s zip code. Yes, it’s wealth, but it’s also much more than that. If you are surrounded by people who didn’t go to college, you come in at such a detriment. Even when grants cover tuition, the financial stress that comes from worrying about food, transportation, books, and other expenses can be limiting. Entering an institution that is designed for students who have the luxury of focusing only on school when you do not have that luxury puts you behind.
Mental healthcare is no different. Recommending that someone find a therapist when they live in an area that doesn’t have any isn’t helpful. The focus of this post is on kids in the LGBTQ community. If you live in a location that refuses to see you as a human, how are you supposed not to have an adverse mental reaction to that?
Similarly, if you’re constantly being discriminated against and/or harassed in your community, it’s going to have an impact on your mental health. How could it not? I live in a state that is entering hurricane season, and those severe weather events impact our mental health. Political decisions related to emergency aid affect our mental health. There’s no amount of exercise or time spent outdoors that’s going to change that.
The question isn’t just about making therapy available to more people, though that is important. It’s also about eliminating the environmental factors that cause harm to our mental health. Those will vary depending on where we live. What works in Louisiana is not what works in New York. What is needed here is different because the environment is different.
Most of all, can we even see the issues as they apply to different places? If we can’t see that, how do we see the problems faced by any individual?