Why Do Mental Health Issues and Care Make People Shy Away?
Why Do Mental Health Issues and Care Make People Shy Away?
I remember a civilian colleague of mine telling our Chief that she had PTSD, and she said his whole attitude toward her changed. She said it was within short order that she found management treating her differently, and before long, she was being encouraged to go out on retirement. At the time, I pondered why he would be so reactive. This was the softest-spoken person I had ever worked with; she never presented as threatening, unstable, or dangerous. So why would we be so ignorant toward a great colleague? What is it about mental health that makes people so hesitant? It’s not like you can catch PTSD, schizophrenia, or most other DSM-5-TR diagnoses. To be fair, there was a major study in Finland that showed that adolescents who associated with peers with mental illness had a higher risk of developing mental illness, particularly eating disorders and anxiety (Alho et al., 2024). However, if mental health disorders were contagious in the way we think of a contagion, then nearly all practicing therapists would be suffering from a host of conditions.
So, are people afraid of mental health issues because it’s an unknown, we don’t understand it and we are leery of what we don’t understand? Is that, I wondered, why we shy away from mental health care? I initially pursued a consideration of why do people in America shy away from mental health care, but I learned in my research that internationally, even in European countries, people don’t seek care when they need it (Mental Health Million Project, 2021). This entire idea made me wonder why, in this day and age, do we still have so much aversion to seeking help?
Mental Health Million Project conducted a survey of 10 countries, and their findings included:
Over 50% of those with clinical level mental health risks do not seek help. The major reasons are not knowing what kind of help to seek, thinking that it won’t make a difference, and a preference for self-help.
The researchers concluded that stigma was not the only defining issue. Therefore, stigma is not the only issue interfering with criminal justice professionals seeking help. It suggests that even if someone is willing to seek help, they may not know where to start.
Take for example, a colleague who has been exposed to a serious traumatic event at work. If I were to be in a supportive role, and they were willing to seek care, I would still need to help that individual identify a care provider who specializes in trauma treatment. So, I set out to find a therapist in our area who specializes in trauma care. Even in this day of the internet, here is what I found:
A counselor who says she takes contracts from the Veterans Administration. She has a friendly website, speaks about realizing the limited support for law enforcement after her nephew joined the San Jose (California) Police Department. She mentions she isn’t a liberal and is a certified range instructor. Already, my skepticism kicks in, and I am thinking, “she’s trying too hard.”
So the next question is, do I give her contact information to my colleague, do I try to vet her myself first…what the heck? So, in reality, I am stuck, and I am just trying to figure out how to help my colleague. I am not currently in a mental health crisis, I am not facing trauma or worried about my career if I seek help, none of that.
So after going through this exercise, I can see why people don’t know what type of help to seek, and to be skeptical about it working. I became skeptical about the therapist who wants me to believe she can hang with cops. No disrespect to her, I am just being candid about my own bias!
Therefore, we have layers of obstacles when seeking mental health care as a criminal justice professional. There is a hesitancy to admit the need for help, because there is stigma in the general population about mental health, and an added layer of stigma for those in law enforcement and any service field for that matter (i.e., corrections, social work, domestic violence shelters, health care, etc.). If one finds the courage to get past that and decide to seek help, where does one start? Look for a specific type of mental health professional? Then do they take insurance? Or does one go with an Employee Assistance Program referral? Then, does one follow through and call the mental health clinician? Show up and put all of the problems out to a stranger and hope they are able to understand the work and how to help?
I look at this way, we are having the conversations about how to effect change in the industry. How do we destigmatize seeking mental health care? Even on an international level, we have a long way to go. We have come a long way in the past 20 years, but certainly, there is a journey ahead.
By the way, I emailed the therapist who is a gun-toting, cussing, conservative who wants to work with law enforcement. In a brief email, I told her about how important this topic is to me, and that I am seeking to build my professional network as I am interested in pursuing long-term solutions in the industry. My first thought was, is she going to vet me before she even responds? Stay tuned…
References:
Alho, J., Gutvilig, M., Niemi, R., Komulainen, K., Böckerman, P., Webb, R. T., Elovainio, M., & Hakulinen, C. (2024). Transmission of Mental Disorders in Adolescent Peer Networks. JAMA Psychiatry (Chicago, Ill.), 81(9), 882–888. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2024.1126
Sapien Labs. (2021). Mental Health has Bigger Challenges Than Stigma. Mental Health Million Project. Retrieved from: https://mentalstateoftheworld.report/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Rapid-Report-2021-Help-Seeking.pdf
7 comments
Your blog post was very informative and made me think very deeply on this subject. There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to mental health and how to help others. In your personal experience that you stated about the professional you seeked, having such specific qualities listed about them is interesting. Yes, for some it matters knowing what background they have, but for many, they just want to seek out help. Overall, your blog post about mental health issues was interesting to read about.
Thank you for sharing this personal experience! It was incredibly helpful for being able to visualize the barriers that people experience when trying to seek mental health assistance. Stigma is often just the starting point, but even overcoming that isn’t guaranteed to help someone actually gain access to help.
I thought was a very open honest post. In fact, I have thought the same things myself, like “where would I find a competent trauma based therapist in a small city like mine”? After all, its not like you can look them up on Yelp.
I really connected with your post because it shows how much stigma can shape whether someone feels safe asking for help. When mental health struggles are dismissed or misunderstood, people learn to stay quiet even when they are hurting. It is painful to think that fear of being judged can keep someone from the support that could actually help them heal.
I also appreciate how you explained that many people hide their challenges because they worry others will see them differently. Sometimes the silent part of suffering is the hardest, especially when someone already feels alone. Your post reminded me that mental health care should feel like protection, not a risk to our identity or our relationships.
You talk about how care has to feel safe for people to accept it. Real support means listening without assumptions and meeting people where they are. When we replace judgment with understanding, we give others permission to step forward instead of shrinking back.
If we want healing to be possible, we need to create environments where people can show their struggles without losing respect or connection. Reaching out is an act of courage and everyone deserves to feel supported when they do.
Thank you for sharing. I appreciate how you highlighted how complicated and intimidating it can be for a criminal justice professional to find mental health support. Its interesting how peoples attitudes can change once they find out that someone has PTSD, even if they haven’t shown any type of risk. Stigma isn’t just about being seen as weak, but also being able to understand the misunderstandings, fear, and having knowledge on these type of things. It could be confusing to find the right kind of help. We need multipe layers of change by reducing stigma, making resources easier to find, and helping officers understand that their mental health wont be used against them.
Your post does a great job of highlighting how complex and layered the barriers to mental health can be, mainly for people in the criminal justice line of work. The example you gave of the colleague with PTSD showed how damaging the reaction from people can be, and how quickly a person can be pushed away instead of being supported by their peers. Your post shows that professionals don’t need permission to seek help, and they should also have access to trustworthy peers and resources that won’t push them away.
I really enjoyed reading your blog post. It was interesting to hear your firsthand experience navigating the challenges of therapy. As with many mental health concerns, accessing effective care is rarely straightforward. Finding the right provider, especially one with the specialized knowledge needed to prevent retraumatization and reduce the burden of repeatedly retelling one’s story can make an enormous difference in the therapeutic process.
Employers can also play a meaningful role in this landscape. For example, my workplace now recognizes that mental health support is not simply a benefit but a necessary component of employee wellbeing and productivity. When employers invest in employee assistance programs or maintain curated networks of trauma-informed clinicians, they help bridge the gap between employees and practitioners who possess the appropriate expertise. This can significantly reduce the emotional strain of searching for a therapist alone (Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, 2014). Additionally, employers who partner with mental health service providers often offer care navigation services, where trained professionals guide employees in selecting clinicians who match their specific needs, and therapeutic goals (Teladoc Health Canada, n.d.). These initiatives help ensure that individuals are connected with therapists who already have a foundational understanding of the challenges the employee is facing, allowing therapy to begin at a more informed and supportive baseline.
Great post!
References
Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. (2014). Trauma-informed care in behavioral health services (Treatment Improvement Protocol [TIP] Series No. 57). Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK207194/
Teladoc Health Canada. (n.d.). Mental Health Navigator. https://www.teladochealth.ca/organizations/employers/mental-health-navigator
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