Despite there being a significantly better understanding of mental health around the world, it is still an ongoing battle for many mental health professionals, advocates and those in treatment to destigmatize going to therapy and other mental health treatments. While caring for and understanding individuals who live with various mental health concerns and disorders is far from new, removing any negative connotations of talking about it or even talking about seeking out treatment is still important because those negative connotations still remain deeply ingrained in society today.
And yet studies show that more adults are currently seeking treatment than we might think — whether or not they want to talk about it. According to a 2016 finding from the Virginia-based group Mental Health America (which gathers data across all 50 states) and as reported by Good Therapy, “18.5 percent (or 43.7 million) of Americans were found to be experiencing some form of mental health issue” but “nearly six in 10 adults with a mental health issue receive no treatment.” While there’s no direct claim being made that those 6 in 10 adults were not seeking treatment because of social stigmas or any other specific factors, it’s still high enough to take notice.
Which brings up to an important question: Who is talking about seeking mental health treatment? Who is using their platform to advocate for treatments like therapy and in doing so helping to alleviate some of the negativity surrounding it? For that, we look to some of our favorite celebrities, including Brad Pitt, Kerry Washington and Jennifer Garner, who have all gone on record to discuss mental health and the helpful role therapy has played in their lives.
A version of this story was posted September 2018.