Choose Your Words Carefully – You Impact People Around You
I found these two statistics to be very telling when it comes to mental health. On the one hand, we have never had more awareness of mental health issues.
On the other hand, the percentage of people who access mental healthcare is still pitiful.
So when I was reading this article, 5 key mental health trends from the 2025 State of Mental Health Report, I wasn’t surprised by these numbers, but I also have never seen direct proof of how much it matters what the people closest to us hear from us:
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41.7% of respondents said they’d be more likely to seek mental health support if people in their social circle were attending therapy or speaking openly about it.
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39.9% of respondents said encouragement from family or friends helped make them more comfortable speaking about their mental health in general.
I have said it many times – the reason you don’t “know anyone with mental health issues” is most likely because you aren’t a safe person to talk to about those issues. More than that, by creating an environment where mental health is not talked about, or is maybe even stigmatized, you are making it less likely that the people you care about will seek out help when they need it.
Suppose your family and friends can have open conversations about mental health, including their own experiences with therapy or other resources. In that case, it’s more likely that the people you care about will seek the help they need.
Which result would you rather have for the people you care about?
The article also mentions that economic concerns are also a large contributor to people not accessing mental healthcare, and that’s another issue that needs to be dealt with as well. Still, our willingness to talk openly and be accepting of mental health in our circles has a significant impact on whether people get help or continue to suffer. I’d much rather err on the side that doesn’t involve my friends and family suffering more out of fear of being judged for their mental health condition.
