When Simone Biles withdrew from the Tokyo Olympics in 2020 to focus on her mental health, the world was shocked. At this point, the importance of mental health was becoming more widely accepted, but it was still very stigmatized.
And then the COVID-19 pandemic happened. Suddenly, people were forced to social distance and wear masks. Schools became virtual and staying at home became normalized. Isolation became more widespread. The uncertainty of it all spread fear, panic, and anxiety. According to a CDC survey, more than a third of high school students struggled with their mental health during the pandemic.
It is hard to believe any positive effects could have come from this. But, Ms. Megan Brenner, a counselor at SHS, notes, “The pandemic shifted the conversation about mental health …The shared hardship opened the door for greater empathy.”
Biles’ public declaration is an example of this shift. In a time when more and more people were struggling with their mental health, Biles’ statement let them know they were not the only ones.
Biles’ courage has led other celebrities to follow in her footsteps and speak out about their personal mental health struggles. In 2022, Michael Phelps shared his struggle with depression. In 2023, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson opened up about his own battle with depression. And in 2024, Taraji P. Henson publicly spoke about her struggle with anxiety.
This open conversation about mental health has reached people of all ages, especially teens. According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), about 4 in 10 teens have looked online for people with similar mental health concerns, and now, they can find someone to show they are not alone, someone to give them guidance and to prove there is nothing wrong with asking for help. If famous celebrities can admit their own mental health struggles, so can ordinary people.
Now that we are more openly talking about mental health, does that mean mental health stigmas are gone? Has the problem just disappeared?
The answer is no, says Brenner. Just because more people now feel comfortable about asking for help, this is still not true for everyone. “There’s still work to be done to ensure everyone feels comfortable accessing resources,” she explains.
It is important to note that the pandemic did not lessen mental health stigmas. It instead created the opportunity to lessen mental health stigmas. Mental health stigmas have been and will continue to be a barrier to accessing mental health services. However, that does not mean we cannot do anything about them.
As Brenner explains, “By talking openly about mental health, we can continue to break down the stigmas that prevent people from seeking the support they deserve.” It is only by working together that we can truly combat mental health stigmas.
A simple statement changed people’s entire view of mental health. But imagine what could happen with a hundred of those statements. A thousand. The only way to further this progress is to keep the conversation going.
