Barriers to mental health treatment and access to care
Seeking help for mental health support can be a taxing journey. According to a recent report by MHA, almost a third of all adults with a mental illness reported that they were not able to receive the treatment they needed. Unfortunately, there are a broad range of barriers and challenges that people face which can prevent them from getting access to mental health care or seek any other kind of additional support. There are many reasons as to why care may not be properly provided.
8 common barriers to mental health treatment
1. Accessibility
Where can you go when you need mental healthcare? Finding appropriate, trained professionals that can properly support mental wellness can be difficult to find.
Individuals in rural or low-income areas especially have limited access to mental health services. This can be due to a lack of mental health providers in the area or even transportation cost to visit a mental health professional or service.
2. Affordability or Cost
Mental health treatment can be very expensive, and the cost can pose a significant challenge for many individuals for seeking treatment. Even if an individual has health insurance, it does not necessarily cover mental health treatment costs. The costs involved in mental health treatment is not just the price of one therapy session, but can also include psychiatric evaluation visits, medications or in some cases, hospitalization.
3. Stigma
One of the most significant barriers to mental health treatment is the stigma attached to mental illness. The process of getting diagnosed can be a treacherous one. Even more so, those who are diagnosed with a mental disorder are subject to criticism, judgment, differing treatment and overall ignorance by those around them. It is also often viewed as a weakness or character flaw which can further prevent individuals from seeking treatment.
4. Family and Relationships
Current relationships with partners can be affected when one may decide to seek mental health care. There could be fear related to losing one’s partner or feeling that partner may not understand what it means to be in treatment. This may also make it difficult to seek a partner that not only understands but is willing to cooperate with needs.
Family also has a significant impact on mental health outcomes and core beliefs of mental health in general. One example of this is the devaluation of mental health care and how that can discourage a person in need to seek help from fear of familial backlash. This can be exemplified if there is a deep spiritual belief about mental health being sinful, overall intolerance of dealing with mental health with a professional or fear of judgment from society.
5. Personal readiness
An individual also may not be ready to come to terms with the fact that they might need support or treatment, and may even fail to admit there is a problem at all. This is also related to the stigma attached to mental health. No matter how clear the signs are that an individual needs to seek treatment, some would prefer to be in complete denial or simply ignore the signs due to fear of judgment.
6. Cultural barriers to mental healthcare
Cultural beliefs and values can also be a barrier to mental health treatment. Some cultures may view mental illness as a spiritual or personal issue and may be hesitant to seek treatment from mental health professionals due to fear of judgment from the society.
Language is another barrier related to culture that can affect an individual’s likeliness to seek treatment. An individual may not speak the same language as a mental health professional. Or in some cases, they may not be able to speak proficiently. Another aspect of language barrier is the difference in cultures and difference in the way people communicate. Both can lead to miscommunication and misunderstandings which derails treatment.
7. Lack of education or knowledge
In a lot of cases, depending on where you live, as a result of the stigma and deprioritizing mental health care, a lot of individuals lack knowledge on what mental health is and how it can impact one’s overall health. Schools and colleges don’t necessarily include mental health education in their curriculum, even more so in low-income areas. Hence, even if a person may be willing to seek help in some cases, they may not know how or where to take the first step to seek help and are often left to their own devices.
8. Shortage of mental health professionals
Even with an increase in mental health awareness and education, we are faced with yet another barrier to mental health treatment, which is the lack or shortage of mental health professionals or services. According to a 2020 WHO report, the global median number of mental health workers has increased only slightly from 9 workers in 2014 to 13 workers per 100,000 population in 2020.
Already with a lack of access, this poses yet another challenge to those trying to seek mental health treatment.
You can turn to mental health applications that allow you access to mental health professionals. There is a comprehensive list available of the best mental health apps out there that lists various options available for different individual needs.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there are various barriers to mental health treatment, including lack of access, affordability, and stigma to name a few. In order to overcome these barriers, several online mental health resources have been implemented which are hugely helping individuals access mental health treatment, especially to combat the challenge of accessibility and affordability.
Other steps that can be taken are educating individuals to ensure that individuals are aware of the steps they need to take for mental health treatment. Mental health professionals, and other individuals in the field can also work together to increase education and make mental health treatment more accessible and inclusive for everyone.
