Researchers of a new study found that people with mental health problems are more open to discussing their condition and seeking medical treatment for it.
Most people don't like discussing health issues and only seek treatment when the illness goes out of hand. This is rapidly changing. The results of a survey conducted by Orygen Youth Health Research Centre researchers found that people with mental health problems are more open to discussing their condition and seeking medical treatment for it.
"We conducted a national survey of mental health literacy, that is, what people know and believe about mental health problems like depression and schizophrenia. We compared these results with previous surveys carried out since 1995," Dr Nicola Reavley from the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, said in a press statement. "The results of the study revealed that the numbers of those disclosing experiences of depression and early schizophrenia, and of having received professional help for depression, have increased since 1995."
The new study took into account surveys conducted on similar topics since 1995. Researchers found that in 1995, 45 percent of people said they knew someone with some form of mental health problem. This number increased to 71 percent by 2011.
So what made people more open about their condition? Researchers noted that this increase in willingness to disclose is most likely due to changing attitudes towards and greater awareness of mental health problems, rather than more people having mental health problems or more people seeking treatment.
Researchers also revealed that in the years 2003, 2004 and 2011, females were more likely than males to disclose experiencing depression.
The findings of this study are important because they can contribute to the design of public education and anti-stigma interventions. They also indicated improved knowledge and beliefs about mental health problems within the community due to educational campaigns about mental health.
"This new information helps us to understand how things can change in the population and the impact of campaigns to reduce the stigma of mental health problems," Dr Reavley said.
Statistics show that one in every four Americans, accounting for 26.2 percent of the country's population, suffers from mental disorders, depression being the most common condition. Major Depressive Disorder is the leading cause of disability in the U.S. for ages ranging from 15-44, affecting approximately 14.8 million American adults.
