“Mental health disorders” are increasingly being put on equal footing as “medical disorders” – with some researchers and mental health specialists even calling them “brain disorders.”

One major development in destigmatizing mental health disorders and their treatment is that health insurance companies are now required by law to pay for mental health services the same way they pay for medical services. But there is much work still to be done to destigmatize having a mental health disorder, and making treatment more acceptable and even the norm.

To put it into context, of those who completed our Healthy Minds Study on the students at RISD, 75% reported that they either somewhat agreed, agreed, or strongly agreed that they currently need help for emotional or mental health problems – so you are not alone!

Asking yourself if you have mental health disorder, sharing your concerns with someone close to you so that you can get support, and then seeking assessment and/or treatment are great steps you can take to help you feel better!

Relevant articles

The Most Important Conversation on Campus
Hakeem Rahim, afsp.org
An article on destigmatizing mental health disorders and treatment.
Source: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP)

It’s Real: College Students and Mental Health
A video of the stories of six college students talking about their mental health disorders and how treatment helped them to thrive in school.
Source: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP)