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Challenging the public perception of mental illness

The Santa Fe New Mexican - 11/6/2020

Nov. 6--Mental illness and the media are not always friends.

Some local teens believe media coverage helps bring awareness to mental illness and normalizes its widespread effects. Others, however, believe the media stereotypes conditions such as depression and anxiety.

Max Quintana, a junior at Capital High, said he feels the coverage is generally negative, and he believes this influences public perception and that people who suffer from mental illness are largely looked down upon.

Rather than judging someone for any mental health issues, Quintana encourages the public to gain a better understanding of the individual's experience.

"There is an understanding of [mental illness], but you never truly know what a person is going through unless you ask them or they tell you," he said. "Most people like to keep that stuff private because it's very intimate to them and will only tell a select group of people that they trust and know that won't use [their mental health] against them."

Experts say teens often don't even know they are suffering from mental illness; if they do, many aren't sure where or how to get help. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, an advocacy group, 1 in 5 teenagers between the ages of 13 and 18 has or will have a serious mental illness, but only about half will ever receive treatment for it.

Some say this is because existing stigma causes shame. Teens might feel embarrassed to talk to anyone or be afraid of what their peers might think.

"I feel that [people struggling with mental illness] need support from loved ones and friends without the worry of being judged or looked down on," said one anonymous Santa Fe teen who has been experiencing depression for over a year.

The teen added that the academic and social stress of school contributes to their mental illness. This is not uncommon: According to National Alliance on Mental Illness, 37 percent of students with a mental health condition who are 14 and older drop out of school -- the highest dropout rate of any disability group.

Social media doesn't help either.

"When you go on social media, right away you start comparing yourself to other people, and this does a lot of harm for body image and self-love," the Santa Fe teen said. "Honestly, social media makes me feel that I have to live for others and not for myself."

According to a study done by the National Center for Health Research, 25 percent of adolescents believe social media has a negative effect on their mental health. The study shows an increase in mental illness among young people correlates with their use of social media. Researchers claim the fear of missing out, commonly called FOMO, is social media's biggest contributor to mental illness. The study also supports the idea that social media negatively affects body image for both girls and boys, as usage links to "body surveillance."

Regardless of the specifics, many teens agree these social platforms have negative side effects.

"I mean, what teen isn't on social media? It quite literally has taken over our lives," said Maira Juárez Martinez a sophomore at Early College Opportunities High School. Martinez added that amid the coronavirus pandemic, when teens are isolated, they are turning to their phones more than ever for entertainment. In reality, that coping mechanism can be harmful, she said.

But even if teens delete their Instagram account or take a break from TikTok, they will continue to be exposed to negative stereotypes of mental illness. Movies and TV shows are also part of the problem.

The film Silver Linings Playbook, for example, follows character Pat Solitano and his struggle with bipolar disorder as he tries to rebuild his life. It incorrectly depicts the treatment and management of mental illness and ends with Pat seemingly being cured of his bipolar disorder. Some viewers noted that Pat's happy ending is not typical for many people who live with the reality of mental illness.

Melissa Harper, a therapist at the nationally recognized educational and therapeutic organization Santa Fe Mountain Center, argues the media might not be to blame. Instead, "I think that mass culture has these biases and these stigmas, and I think that media, maybe often accurately, portrays where we are at with those different things as a culture," she said.

Harper said although progress is being made to normalize mental health, the stigma is still very much alive and much work is yet to be done: "I think that we [as a society] don't create openness for conversation, instead we create labels," she said.

Eventually, Harper hopes to see a culture free of judgement. Mental health, she said is "something that should be talked about openly amongst individuals, schools, organizations, employers as an opportunity to connect and receive the support that we all need."

Valeria Ramirez is a sophomore at Santa Fe High. Contact her at ramirezvaleria2105@gmail.com.

Ian Jose Hernandez Rojas is a sophomore in The MASTERS Program. Contact him at ianhernandezrocks@gmail.com.

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