Mind & Mood
Blasting through mental health misperceptions
Fight back against pervasive stereotypes with these liberating strategies.
- Reviewed by Toni Golen, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Women's Health Watch; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing; Contributor
For all its downsides, the pandemic helped us to do a better job of openly discussing mental health. But that doesn't mean everyone is up to speed on how strikingly common mental illness is — or immune to stubborn stereotypes that label people struggling with mental health challenges as somehow defective.
An estimated 58 million American adults — more than one in five — live with a mental illness such as anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, or obsessive-compulsive disorder, among others. And more women than men receive treatment such as medication or counseling for such an issue, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.
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About the Author
Maureen Salamon, Executive Editor, Harvard Women's Health Watch
About the Reviewer
Toni Golen, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Women's Health Watch; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing; Contributor
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