Hopeful to Help People All Over the World
I constantly refer my patients to see a therapist, but each time I warn them that they will likely be put on a waitlist. With a shortage of mental health professionals to meet the growing need, being placed on a waitlist means it may take up to several months before they are able to make an actual appointment and be seen. I have received messages from people in other countries saying that the wait may even be up to one year. Every day I’m trying to figure out how to best support my patients while they try to get the resources they need. And every day I’m trying to find ways to help my patients work on their issues, though many are not quite ready to open up about their lives on a deeper level, which I completely respect because each one of us is different. In addition, as a psychiatrist on social media, I receive daily messages from people all over the world asking for help stating there are no available mental professionals for hundreds of miles from where they live. Sadly, it’s an uphill battle for people worldwide to access, receive, and utilize the mental health services they greatly need.
Did you know that only about half of people struggling with their mental health actually receive treatment from a mental health professional (in the United States)? This number is definitely a lot higher in other parts of the world, especially third world countries. There are various reasons that people don’t seek treatment, which include cost, stigma, fear of being judged, difficulty or lack of knowledge on how to navigate resources, difficulty attending appointments during work hours, and many other reasons. However, another common reason is that people often feel they should be able to work through their issues themselves.
The feeling of having to work through issues ourselves is quite common, especially due to the culture and perception of mental health in many minority communities such as the BIPOC community (Black, indigenous, people of color). Last month (July) was National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month in the US, and it’s important to point out that people of minority groups experience numerous barriers to getting mental health treatment. They may not access treatment due to some of the reasons listed above, but in addition to those reasons, there tend to be challenges trying to find a mental health professional of the same race or ethnic group, as well as a lack of clinicians who are culturally sensitive to the unique challenges they face. Healthcare in America has a long history of discrimination and racial biases which impact the quality of care minorities receive, so understandably people have reservations and concerns with trusting healthcare professionals, especially when discussing sensitive topics related to their mental health. Minorities often will wait until their symptoms are very severe before they seek help. How can we help people learn more about their mental health and build up the courage to advocate for themselves to get the care they need?
At Murror, we aim to empower individuals of all identities (related to race, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, etc) who desire to address their mental health concerns but may not yet feel comfortable seeking traditional therapy, or face obstacles in accessing it. Let me be clear that we are not a replacement for treatment, but rather a means to assist in the process towards helping people gain insight and initiative to pursue the care they need. Technology, when harnessed responsibly, can be a powerful tool to bridge the gap in mental health services. In a world where resources are lacking we hope to assist and provide tools in a safe and understanding space for people to work on their mental health journey.
