What Is Stigma in Mental Health and Its Impact on Seniors?

How often do you face challenges with your mental health, and how will aging impact those challenges? According to the World Health Organization, roughly 14% of senior adults live with a mental disorder. These range from dementia and other memory-related disorders to depression, anxiety, and more.

Thankfully, Hayward, CA, is an excellent city to spend your golden years if you're focusing on mental health. Our rich culture of history and arts is an ideal way to keep your mind healthy and your soul fed.

What is stigma in mental health, and how does this impact the emotional health seniors face? Read on for a quick overview of how stigma and mental health most impact our seniors.

What Is Stigma in Mental Health?

The best way to start to understand aging and stigma is to focus on our vocabulary. A stigma is a negative preconception relating to something. 

The stigma against mental health in seniors relates to seeing mental health as something that one should keep quiet about. Older generations in particular were more likely to focus on mental health as something that should be guaranteed, while some still find such disorders to not exist at all!

According to Health In Aging, seniors are significantly less likely to speak about mental health than younger generations. While this is starting to change, many seniors still find it difficult to speak about mental health. The fear of judgment is one of the leading factors in this issue.

Where Does Mental Health Stigma Come From?

The stigma against mental health exists in all ages, but is especially pronounced in elderly generations. Part of this is driven by age and generational differences, while others have a biological source.

For example, according to Mental Health in Family Medicine, many seniors see poor mental health as a sign of weakness. As a result, few want to reach out and discuss their mental health to avoid being seen as weak.

Additionally, a fear of a loss of independence fuels this. Some seniors fear that opening up about poor mental health may lead to them losing their independence. Raising concerns could cause alarm, and many seniors choose to avoid such a situation.

Finally, some also fail to consider the ties between dementia and mental health. These are seen as a normal part of aging; seniors simply have worse memories and weaker mental capabilities.

Many times, these opinions have an ageist bias to them. There's no reason for senior mental health to be pushed under the rug and seen as the normal state of things. Instead, we should work to remove stigma and look after the mental health of seniors.

The Effects of Stigma on Mental Health

What are the effects of this stigma, and why should we work to undo it? Is there a tangible impact on the emotional health seniors experience, or are aging and stigma simply buzzwords?

There's a significant impact on seniors as a result of this stigma. One of the most impactful issues is that this stigma stops many seniors from reaching out for assistance.

A primary reason for this is shame. A stigma has a negative connotation, and that's certainly the case for the stigma against mental health in the elderly. Many seniors don't feel comfortable discussing their mental health in order to avoid this shame.

As a result, this stigma causes a significant barrier between seniors and assistance. Many will suffer in silence, meaning they never get the care they need. That's especially problematic for conditions that require medication or counseling.

It also leads to feelings of isolation due to the senior not feeling like they can speak out honestly. In many cases, the isolation can only worsen the mental health of a senior who's already struggling to reach out.

There are many further issues, such as:

• Reduced hope
• Low self-esteem
• Struggling in professional and personal endeavors
• Increased symptoms
• Difficulty maintaining personal connections

These issues only compound an already-debilitating condition. Working to undo the stigma around mental health in seniors can help us lessen these symptoms.

How to Combat the Stigma of Mental Health in Seniors

With the consequences known, it's easy to understand why we need to work to remove the stigma around the mental health of seniors.

While it can seem insurmountable, we have many ways to do so. Here are the main ways for us to fight the stigma against mental health.

Education

The first and most important step is to work on education. It's a sad reality that many people aren't aware of the issues surrounding mental health at any age, much less seniors.

This is further enforced by the misunderstanding that neurological conditions like dementia aren't related to mental health. Furthermore, the idea that these conditions are expected and normal pushes the idea that mental health struggles are also standard.

Educating people of all ages will help to reduce this stigma. It's the first step toward living a more vibrant life full of understanding and empathy.

Empathy

Focusing on empathy will also help to remove the stigma. Many people have an "out of sight, out of mind" view on mental health. 

That's especially problematic for issues that aren't visible. While one can witness and observe dementia, one can rarely do so for depression without training.

Seeking Treatment

Finally, encouraging seniors to seek treatment will help to remove the stigma. While taking such a large step can seem daunting, it's one of the best ways for seniors to see that there's nothing to be ashamed of.

Staying active is another great way to improve your mental health. Browse our amenities to see how we help you stay active!

Working to Combat Stigma

What is stigma in mental health for senior citizens? Stigma causes seniors to refuse treatment, isolate themselves, and suffer in silence to avoid guilt and shame. Working to undo this stigma is paramount to taking care of our seniors.

At Bellara Senior Living, we're proud to do all that we can to boost the mental health of our residents.

Our community focuses on not only independent living and assisted living, but also memory care and wellness through staying physically active, promoting socialization, and offering assistance through a variety of programs, such as Vibrant Life. Contact us today to see the senior support Hayward can offer.