“We need to listen to the pain of people and accompany them with tenderness.”
–Pope Francis
Mental health, human dignity and the call to hope
May is Mental Health Awareness Month and we are reminded that across the United States, people are carrying enormous emotional weight right now. Anxiety, depression, loneliness, burnout, grief and fear have become part of daily life for many families and communities. Mental health experts increasingly warn that political stress and polarization are taking a serious toll on emotional well-being. “The Political Is Personal” describes politics as a chronic stressor that can leave people feeling exhausted, anxious, angry and emotionally overwhelmed. Recent reporting from The Guardian on “political depression” notes that therapists are seeing increasing numbers of people struggling with anxiety, burnout and hopelessness connected to political instability and fear about the future.
Young people are especially struggling. Students today are growing up amid school violence fears, social media pressure, climate anxiety, economic uncertainty and political division. The CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey continues to show concerning increases in sadness, hopelessness, and mental health challenges among adolescents nationwide.
What can we do?
- Check in regularly on neighbors, family members, students and co-workers.
- Explore the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) digital tool kit here.
- Advocate for affordable and accessible mental health care.
- Support policies that strengthen health care, housing, education and economic dignity.
- Pray for healing, peace, caregivers, counselors and all who are struggling emotionally.
Did you know?
Many counties in northern and rural Michigan are officially designated mental health professional shortage areas, meaning residents may have very limited access to counselors, therapists or psychiatrists close to home.
At the same time, schools across the state have reported significant increases in student anxiety, depression and trauma-related behavioral concerns since the pandemic, while many school counselors are carrying caseloads of hundreds of students and struggling to meet growing need.
Organizations such as Mental Health America of Michigan and NAMI Michigan continue to document how barriers like geography, cost and provider shortages make access to care uneven across the state, underscoring that mental health in Michigan is not only a health care issue, but also a question of equity and justice.