The Avoidance of Mental Health Treatment

According to Forbes, in the United States alone 45% of individuals with a clinical-level mental health condition do not seek professional help. Many people avoid mental health treatment due to various barriers. The stigma surrounding mental illness remains a significant deterrent, as people may fear judgment and discrimination from society, within their communities, and in the workplace, despite healthcare laws like the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) that ensure that medical records are kept private and only shared with health insurance companies or medical providers as needed.

Moreover, a lack of awareness about the nature or characteristics of mental illness may lead to denial or minimization of the severity of mental health symptoms, leading individuals to try and cope on their own, possibly due to feelings of shame or pride. This may be further influenced by cultural or religious beliefs that possess negative attitudes towards mental illness and view it as a sign of weakness or support traditional healing practices in place of professional help services.

Furthermore, the belief that mental health treatment will last forever or is limited to only taking medication instead of other options such as psychotherapy prevents those individuals from starting earlier treatment plans that, although it is never too late to seek help, offer the best possible chance of recovery. Additionally, the cost can be a significant hurdle to accessing mental health treatment for those without adequate financial resources.

Working towards lowering treatment costs and improving insurance coverage, increasing access to treatment with reduced waiting times, and increasing awareness of mental health and treatment options is vital in encouraging individuals to seek proper treatment and improve their quality of life.