Good of Discussing Mental Health for Community and Corporates

*Disclaimer: This article doesn’t undermine the need for a Clinical Psychologist at MNCs and there is no law that other psychologists can’t be hired by organizations that are not “directly” working for mental health.

Readers are advised to use common sense and avoid making any unnecessary assumptions.

Introduction

Worldwide organizations are losing billions of dollars due to the burden of untreated mental health conditions among employees.

If, in 2005, Kessler et al. found that depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and bipolar disorder were more common, you can just imagine the situation today. Although psychological illnesses are more common, the stigma associated with mental health prevents individuals from seeking treatment (Clement et al., 2015).

This article focuses on the need for normalizing mental health counselling, public views, and professional care in curing mental health illnesses.

Stigma for psychological disorders

Mental health stigma prevents people from getting care (Clement et al., 2015). Mental health beliefs, prejudice, and discrimination contribute to this stigma (Corrigan & Watson, 2002). Negative views regarding mental health conditions can cause self-stigma, making people humiliated and hesitant to seek care (Corrigan et al., 2006).

A comprehensive study by Clement et al. (2015) indicated that stigma was a major barrier to mental health care. This suggests that mental health therapy should be normalized and stigmatized less.

Stigma for Psychologists

• In company XYZ, Mrs. Shelly, a 50-year-old lady, was suffering from moderate depression due to the life transition (menopause). But Shelly did not go to meet the office psychologist in her cabin, as there was a board of “psychologist Ms. XYZ.” As psychologists such as Health Psychologists and Positive Psychologists can also diagnose the issue and are skilled in providing counselling for most emotional problems, corporations can hire a health psychologist too.

• Later, when severe cases arise, a worker can be referred to a psychiatrist or clinical psychologist. But in most cases, where your organization doesn’t need a “certificate of diagnosis” to claim “medical insurance” or a “government scheme” (such as disability funds, which are 2500 INR per month in India), corporations and industrial organizations don’t need a permanent clinical psychologist**, and a professional organizational and industrial psychologist or a health psychologist can also be hired.

Need to Normalize Psychological Treatment

• When mental health counselling was normalized through public awareness and education initiatives, these ads enhanced mental health awareness and favourable attitudes toward mental health care (Corrigan et al., 2012).

• Time to Change, a UK mental health campaign (2007 to 2021), was very successful. The training reduces stigma and improves mental health awareness (Evans-Lacko et al., 2013).

• Contact-based therapies, where people with mental health illnesses share their stories, can also reduce stigma and improve mental health service attitudes (Corrigan et al., 2012). This method seeks to dispel mental health myths and foster empathy for those with such conditions (Corrigan et al., 2012).

Significance of Professional Help

• Researchers and psychologists advise using psychological counselling in addition to medications (for severe disorders) to address mental conditions. Therapies such as cognitive-behavioural therapy, for which extensive evidence is available, and interpersonal therapy are found to be effective in reducing or treating and (Cuijpers et al., 2011; Hofmann et al., 2012).

• According to Wang et al. (2007), evidence suggests that psychotherapies are good for treating mental illnesses, yet many people with mental illnesses do not go for therapy. Normalizing mental health therapy and decreasing can help more people seek assistance.

Conclusion

Mental health treatments must be normalized to improve access and treatment. Public awareness campaigns and contact-based treatments have reduced stigma and promoted good mental health attitudes. Professional assistance and evidence-based therapy can enhance the lives of mental health patients and make society more empathetic.

*Disclaimer: This article doesn’t undermine the needs of clinical psychologists at organizations and there is no such law that other psychologists can’t be hired by organizations that are not working for mental health.

Readers are advised to use common sense and avoid making any unnecessary assumptions.

References

• Clement, S., Schauman, O., Graham, T., Maggioni, F., Evans-Lacko, S., Bezborodovs, N., … & Thornicroft, G. (2015). What is the impact of mental health-related stigma on help-seeking? A systematic review of quantitative and qualitative studies. Psychological Medicine, 45(1), 11-27.
• Corrigan, P. W., & Watson, A. C. (2002). Understanding the impact of stigma on people with mental illness. World Psychiatry, 1(1), 16-20.
• Corrigan, P. W., Morris, S. B., Michaels, P. J., Rafacz, J. D., & Rüsch, N. (2012). Challenging the public stigma of mental illness: a meta-analysis of outcome studies. Psychiatric Services, 63(10), 963-973.
• Corrigan, P. W., Larson, J. E., & Rüsch, N. (2009). Self‐stigma and the “why try” effect: impact on life goals and evidence‐based practices. World Psychiatry, 8(2), 75-81.
• Cuijpers, P., Geraedts, A. S., van Oppen, P., Andersson, G., Markowitz, J. C., & van Straten, A. (2011). Interpersonal psychotherapy for depression: a meta-analysis. American Journal of Psychiatry, 168(6), 581-592.
• Evans-Lacko, S., Malcolm, E., West, K., Rose, D., London, J., Rüsch, N., … & Thornicroft, G. (2013). Influence of Time to Change’s social marketing interventions on stigma in England 2009-2011. British Journal of Psychiatry, 202(s55), s77-s88.
• Hofmann, S. G., Asnaani, A., Vonk, I. J., Sawyer, A. T., & Fang, A. (2012). The efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy: A review of meta-analyses. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 36(5), 427-440.
• Kessler, R. C., Berglund, P., Demler, O., Jin, R., Merikangas, K. R., & Walters, E. E. (2005). Lifetime prevalence and age-of-onset distributions of DSM-IV disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Archives of General Psychiatry, 62(6), 593-602.
• Wang, P. S., Aguilar-Gaxiola, S., Alonso, J., Angermeyer, M. C., Borges, G., Bromet, E. J., … & Wells, J. E. (2007). Use of mental health services for anxiety, mood, and substance disorders in 17 countries in the WHO world mental health surveys. The Lancet, 370(9590), 841-850.

*Disclaimer: This article doesn’t undermine the need for a Clinical Psychologist at MNCs and there is no law that other psychologists can’t be hired by organizations that are not “directly” working for mental health. Readers are advised to use common…