Start The Conversation Day: How To Discuss Mental Health With Those You Care About

Silence about mental illness and its treatment may remain widespread in the modern world, despite major advances in our understanding of human psychology. In general, millions of Americans live with the symptoms of treatable conditions and never discuss them with their family members or friends. Start the Conversation Day on July 3 can serve as an opportunity to break down this barrier by making discussions about mental health a part of everyday life. 

Stigmatizing attitudes and misunderstandings about mental illness can make people less likely to seek effective treatment. You may be able to combat these attitudes by sharing news stories or research findings on the topic, or by opening up about your own experiences with mental health treatment. You can also offer concern, empathy, and assistance if you think someone in your life could benefit from psychiatric help. Resources like online therapy platforms can be helpful for individuals seeking accessible professional support.

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The costs of untreated mental illness

The nationwide nonprofit Mental Health America estimates that roughly 28 million adults in the United States experience mental health disorders but do not receive treatment. That’s roughly half of all individuals with a psychological illness. 

Long-term outcomes for people with these conditions can depend a great deal on whether they get help, with untreated mental illness dramatically increasing the risk for outcomes like the following:

• Unemployment
• Social isolation and loneliness
• Homelessness
• Addiction
• Negative interactions with law enforcement, including incarceration
• Poor physical health
• Shorter lifespan

Some people with psychological conditions don’t receive help due to structural and historical obstacles that make it hard for them to access care. Factors like poverty, racism, and geographic isolation can decrease the availability of treatment providers for certain populations. That may be why minority mental health awareness remains such a pressing issue for many people.

However, many people with psychological disorders simply don’t seek out the care that might make it easier for them to get better. Some reports suggest that as many as 45% of Americans living with mental illness aren’t trying to obtain professional treatment. Mental health care might substantially reduce their symptoms and improve their quality of life — but only if they ask for help. 

How silence about mental health can get in the way of treatment

There are many possible reasons why some people who could benefit from mental health treatment avoid it. Several seem to be related to widespread beliefs and attitudes about psychological difficulties and treatments, such as those discussed below:

• Stigma - Critical, judgmental views regarding people with mental illness can affect their willingness to seek treatment. Some individuals may be concerned about how others will perceive them if they’re known to have a psychological diagnosis. Others may have internalized negative ideas about mental health care.
• Misconceptions about treatment - People also might avoid treatment if they underestimate how much it could help them. Despite evidence that around 75% of people who receive psychotherapy experience improvements in their symptoms and quality of life, many individuals assume they won’t benefit much from care.
• Lack of knowledge about mental health - Some people who meet the criteria for a mental health condition may not realize it. Nationwide surveys have found that significant percentages of Americans tend not to recognize the characteristic symptoms of common psychiatric illnesses.

Widespread silence about mental illness can make all these challenges worse. Lack of discussion can limit the spread of accurate information while making mental illness seem like something shameful.

Start the Conversation Day

Improving mental health awareness at the interpersonal level may be a particularly powerful approach. Research suggests that social contact with people who discuss their mental health experiences can be one of the most effective ways to reduce stigmatizing attitudes, especially when the discussions take place between people who know, respect, and trust each other. 

Start the Conversation Day was primarily created to encourage these types of interactions. By talking openly about psychological and behavioral health, you may be able to raise awareness among the people close to you. You might even help someone you care about find the motivation to get the care they need.

How to spark discussions about mental health for Start the Conversation Day

One simple way to enhance mental health awareness may be to have open conversations about psychology, behavioral health, and related topics. For example, you could mention up-to-date research articles or news stories about novel treatment options for mental illness.

This may be more effective if you take some time to educate yourself on the topic beforehand. You could familiarize yourself with a few of the latest findings about the specific condition or treatment method you’re discussing, or about more general questions like the effectiveness of mental health treatment. That way, if your conversation partner expresses misinformed ideas about mental health, you can offer an alternative, evidence-based perspective.

Making it personal

Discussions of this kind may be even more impactful if you’re comfortable sharing your own experiences with mental health difficulties or psychiatric treatment. Relating what you’ve been through — and what helped you heal — could lead the other person to experience greater empathy toward people with mental illness, or it could encourage them to seek help for their own psychological needs.

Even if you’ve never been formally diagnosed with a mental illness, you could talk about various topics:

• Positive encounters with compassionate mental health providers
• Symptoms of depression or anxiety that seemed overwhelming at the time
• Family histories of mental health disorders
• Self-care or mental wellness strategies you’ve developed
• Personal efforts to moderate your use of alcohol or other substances
• People in your life who have overcome mental health disorders with help from therapy

By talking frankly about subjects like these, you can reinforce the idea that taking care of your mental health is an everyday fact of adult life.

How to start a conversation about a loved one’s mental health

Raising concerns about another person’s mental health can be intimidating. You may be worried that you’ll embarrass or offend them, potentially causing problems in your relationship. Yet reaching out when someone is going through a tough time could give them the wake-up call they need to get help.

Here are a few suggestions for having a productive conversation when you’re worried about someone’s mental health.

Start with open-ended questions

Rather than jumping straight into your concerns, it may be helpful to ask general questions like “How have you been?” or “What’s going on in your life these days?” Then, you can spend at least a few minutes catching up before turning the conversation to mental health. Giving them a chance to discuss what’s on their mind may reveal aspects of their situation you didn’t know about while making space for them to vent. 

This approach can also emphasize that you care about them as a person and want to maintain a relationship. Being socially supported can be a significant factor in protecting against mental illness and promoting recovery.

Talk about what you’ve noticed

Ask if they’re okay

After explaining why you’re worried, you can say something like, “Have you been feeling alright? I’m happy to listen if there’s anything you need to talk about.” Expressing sincere concern for their well-being may help them feel comfortable opening up. You can also emphasize that you’re ready to help if there’s anything specific you can do for them.

Talking to a therapist can help you cope with difficult feelings

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Listen and empathize

If the other person is receptive to talking with you about what’s troubling them, it may be vital to listen to everything they have to say rather than jumping in with advice or opinions. You can use active listening practices like nodding, making eye contact, and repeating what they’ve said in your own words to show that you’re paying attention. 

Rather than trying to “talk them out of” their difficult emotions, it’s often better to stick to expressing empathy. Saying things like “That sounds really difficult,” or “I’m sorry you’re going through that,” can reassure your friend or loved one that they’re being heard rather than dismissed.

Offer support and suggest resources

Once you’ve heard the other person out, you can reiterate that you’d like to help in any way you can. This can include practical assistance with specific difficulties they’ve mentioned. For instance, if they’re stressed due to childcare challenges, you could offer to babysit. This can also include emotional support, such as letting them know they can call you up when they need someone with whom to talk.

It may also be a good idea to suggest mental health resources, such as support groups or therapy. You may want to emphasize that counseling can be beneficial even for people who don’t have a diagnosable psychiatric condition. Many mental health experiences involve short-term periods of stress and emotional difficulty rather than chronic mental illness, and talking with a caring professional can make it easier to cope during these hard times.

If you’re unsure where they can look for help, many nonprofit groups and government agencies provide useful resources. For example, Mental Health America organizes peer support groups both online and in person, as well as offering assistance in finding therapy. 

Meanwhile, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) also provides information on locating psychiatric treatment and support.

Online therapy may be another option for individuals who don’t feel comfortable attending sessions in person. With online therapy, they can even choose to connect with a therapist via phone call or online chat if they prefer not to show their face in a video conference.

Research suggests that online therapy usually produces the same client outcomes as in-person therapy and can be used as an effective form of treatment for many mental health conditions.