Stigmatized, Stereotyped, and Sensationalized
We need to open the conversation about mental health to help youth and avoid dismissing concerns, falling back on harmful stereotypes, or praising mental illness as it's portrayed in media.
/ˈstiɡmə/
noun
A mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality, or person.
synonyms: shame, disgrace, dishonor, stain, blemish, brand, mark
/ˈsterēəˌtīp/
noun
A widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing.
synonyms: standard/conventional image, received idea, cliché
/senˈsāSHənlˌīz/
verb
Present information about (something) in a way that provokes public interest and excitement, at the expense of accuracy.
synonyms: hype, hyperbole, excess
In many situations stigma causes youth to feel unable to reach out or ask for help in the first place. Because of the stigma surrounding mental illness, people feel there is something wrong with them.
Sterotypes can cause people to be dismissive of youth asking for help. The sterotype that teens are moody and emotional can cause people to pass of those asking for help, claiming that "everyone feels that way".
When mental illnesses are sensationalized in media portrayals like TV, people take them less seriously. They are seen as "tragically beautiful" and sometimes presented as something desireable, not debilitating conditions
It is a normal part of development for teens to experience a wide range of emotions. However, people must also be able to recognize the signs of mental illnesses and not pass them off as someone being a “moody teen”.
According to the National Alliacnce on Mental Illness, "50% of all lifetime mental illnesses will develop by age 14"