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Prevention Action Alliance
Mental
Health Awareness Month
The following is a first-hand account from Sean Oziegbe, Senior Airman
of the Ohio National Guard Counterdrug Task Force. Sean works at
Prevention Action Alliance as part of his duties.
Growing up, we didn’t talk about mental health. In an African
household, mental health isn’t a topic we thought about, much less
discussed. I can probably count on one hand how many times mental
health came up. Those few discussions also had nothing to do with any
of us in the family. I can’t remember a time in our household that we
sat down to discuss the importance of mental health. I think part of
that had to do with stigma—no one wanted to talk about mental health.
But there are also issues of culture, race, and gender as well. About
one in five American adults live with some type of mental illness,
according to the National Institute on Mental Health, and there are
disparities based on a person’s race, gender, or culture.
Growing up I was taught to toughen up and fight through pain. I was
taught not to make excuses. My college days were no different. I
started to really feel alone, as though I was the only one struggling.
My friends would discuss how mental health was a “white person” issue.
That stigma is one of the reasons why people of certain cultures or
ethnic backgrounds do not seek assistance. People like me.
The truth is, I was not alone. According to the 2017 National Survey on
Drug Use and Health and statistics from the Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration, young adults ages 18 to 25 experience
any form of mental illness (AMI) at a higher rate (25.8 percent) than
any other adult group. Women experience AMI at a higher rate than in
men, 22.3 percent to 15.1 percent respectively. The numbers also differ
significantly when considering race. AMI is highest amongst those
claiming two or more races than it is for people who identify as white,
black, or Hispanic. AMI is lowest among people who identify as Asian.
While there may be differences in culture, race, and gender in terms of
what exact percentage of people are affected by AMI, the end result is
that we are all affected.
A few years after college, I joined the military, where the stigma
surrounding mental health was severe. Recently, the discussions in
military settings have drastically gotten better. The fear of losing
your career over AMI seems to be dissipating, but there is still so
much work to be done. Studies conducted by the Deployment Health
Clinical Center from 2005–2016 highlighted how mental health issues
impact military service members. In 2016, 20.1 percent of all service
members recorded some sort of mental health disorder for a total of
297,473 members. That number was down from the previous year by 2
percent. However, it’s up overall from 2005 by 8 percent. I first saw a
therapist for anxiety and stress management while in the military, so I
am proof that positive strides have been made. There is still work to
be done, though. Even those we consider the bravest and strongest
amongst us are not immune to mental health issues.
Times have undoubtedly changed. The conversations surrounding mental
health, from when I was an adolescent to the current discussions
happening at the national level is encouraging, but there’s still work
to do. If my life has taught me anything, it is the need for growth,
and at the epicenter of that growth is empathy. All the numbers and
statistics listed above could be a sliver of those actually affected.
How many more people would come forward if there was more empathy for
those who struggle with mental illness? We need to continue to raise
awareness about mental health, eradicate stigma, and encourage those
who are suffering to step forward and seek help by being empathetic and
understanding. In short, we need to emulate what Glenn Close said,
“What mental health needs is more sunlight, more candor, and more
unashamed conversation.”
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