For a lot of people that struggle with mental health issues, the first steps to getting professional care can be the most difficult. Studies show that negative stereotypes and misconceptions about mental illnesses often stand in the way of someone speaking out and asking for help when they need it.
Experts say that promoting peer norming programs and safe messaging is one way to overcome the stigma surrounding mental health problems. In recent years, the cause has gained some serious star power with prominent public figures now advocating mental health awareness and normativity.
Celebrities for Mental Health
Historically, celebrities were solely known for the characters they played or the music they made and expected to “stay in their lane.” But now, some stars are choosing to show that they are more than their stage roles and are human beings like the rest of the world. Unmasking this persona includes sharing that they, too, struggle with mental health and mental disorders. Celebrities such as Demi Lovato, Chrissy Tegan, Taraji P. Henson, and more have made it their mission to break mental health stigmas.
Demi Lovato
Grammy-winning singer Demi Lovato (pronouns: they/them/theirs) sparked conversations about mental health during a 2011 ABC News interview. In the interview, Lovato explained that during their treatment for drug addiction and eating disorders, they were diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
During that time, Lovato was offered strategies to manage their emotions and cope with the effects of bipolar disorder. “For the first time in my life, I started to feel,” the singer said. Lovato’s struggles with mental health evolved into advocacy. They are now the celebrity spokesperson for Be Vocal: Speak Up for Mental Health campaign.
Taraji P. Henson
Golden Globe-winning actress Taraji P. Henson was inspired to create a mental health foundation in memory of her father, Boris Lawrence Henson, a Vietnam veteran who struggled with mental health issues. Through the foundation, she has raised funds through grants, donations, and events for free therapy courses, scholarships for Black students in mental health careers, a mental health support group, and a Facebook program.
Henson’s end goal is to normalize the stigma of mental health conversations in the African-American community. In a Town & Country Magazine interview, she said, “The first thing we wanted to do was get Black people talking about mental health, let’s just get it out there. I’ll say something. I’ll break the ice.”
Chrissy Teigen
Chrissy Teigen is known for many things, including being a New York Times best-selling cookbook author and a host of the Emmy Award-nominated TV series, “Lip Sync Battle.” She is also famously known for her candid tweets. Many of her followers appreciate that she shares her unfiltered stance on various issues while maintaining a refreshing sense of humor. One of the issues she has recently brought to light is her mental health problems related to postpartum depression.
Chrissy went public in a candid essay published in the April 2017 issue of Glamour magazine discussing her postpartum depression. “I started taking an antidepressant, which helped. And I started sharing the news with friends and family—I felt like everyone deserved an explanation, and I didn’t know how else to say it other than the only way I know: just saying it. It got easier and easier to say it aloud every time.” she wrote.
Teigen finished her essay by explaining why she finally made the courageous decision to share her battles with postpartum depression. “I want people to know it can happen to anybody, and I don’t want people who have it to feel embarrassed or to feel alone.”
Athletes for Mental Health
Athletes are not ones to shy away from speaking about their battles with mental health either. Balance beams, basketball courts, and sporting arenas are no longer the only places where their voice is recognized. Many athletes are making revolutionary strides towards creating a safer environment for people to speak about mental health issues.
Simone Biles
Olympic Gold Medalist Simone Biles recently shocked the world by withdrawing herself from the 2021 Tokyo Summer Olympics. In light of this ‘controversial’ decision, she received a lot of support from other Olympians who have admitted that they’ve also struggled with similar issues.
Allyson Felix, an 11th-time Olympic medal winner, took to Simones’ defense by saying, “With everything that Simone has gone through, I’m really proud of her and the way she is standing up for herself but also making things better for others and bringing a lot to the forefront of these conversations.”
Kevin Love
Kevin Love, a decorated basketball player, began his journey of publicly speaking about his battle with depression after he had a panic attack in a game against the Atlanta Hawks in 2018 . His panic attack was so severe that he had to leave the court suddenly. When recalling the life-changing episode, Love emphasized how it felt like a near-death experience.
Love wrote an essay featured in The Players’ Tribune titled ‘To Anybody Going Through It‘ a few years later. In the letter, he candidly says, “Listen, I’m not trying to sell you some fairy-tale version of mental health. It took me years and years — hell, it genuinely took 29 years for me to realize what I needed. I needed medication. I needed therapy. I still need those things now, and I probably always will.” He concludes the essay by encouraging others to seek therapy as well.
Naomi Osaka
Naomi Osaka took the tennis world by storm after successfully becoming a four-time Grand Slam champion and the first Asian player to hold the No. 1 ranking by the Women’s Tennis Association. What has also been shocking to the tennis world was her decision to withdraw from the French Open to tend to her mental health.
In a Time Magazine essay, titled ‘It’s O.K. Not to Be O.K.’ Naomi gives insight into what led her to make this decision. She says, “In the past few weeks, my journey took an unexpected path but one that has taught me so much and helped me grow. I learned a couple of key lessons.” The key takeaway from her article is that no matter who you are or what you do, it’s okay to take breaks and do what’s best for your mental health.
With more and more celebrities and athletes talking about their mental health difficulties openly and transparently, they are putting the CDC recommendations into play, gradually making the topic less taboo.
How can I, too, become a mental health advocate?
Anyone can be a mental health advocate. In fact, you may already be one. If you are speaking about mental health issues, you are an advocate. Here are some tips to take it even further:
- Educate yourself on mental health
- Share your story
- Find a mental health group to volunteer for
- Encourage others to change stigmatizing language
- Join an awareness event or contribute to a charity fund
- The future of mental health awareness
The recent public conversations about mental health are a significant turning point in the movement towards positive mental health, partly due to well-known influencers and public health movements encouraging people to talk. Additionally, we have more mental health services open to people in need of support.
Thrive Peer Support offers proven behavioral health recovery services to people struggling with mental health and/or substance use disorders. Thrive’s peer support program restores hope by embracing all pathways to recovery and providing compassionate, comprehensive continuing care.
