Celebrities Take on Roles as Mental Health Advocates

Actor Jared Padalecki, known for his roles in “Supernatural” and “Gilmore Girls,” has become the latest in a long list of celebrities who are speaking out about mental illness. These famous people are talking about their personal experiences and using their popularity to help raise awareness, fight stigma, and encourage people who are struggling to reach out and get help. Padelecki has talked about his struggles with depression and initiated the #AlwaysKeepFighting campaign to raise awareness and support.



Musician Demi Lovato has been outspoken and public about her experience with bipolar disorder and has become an outspoken advocate for mental health.  She recently joined with several organizations, including the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, the Jed Foundation, and others, as part of the  Be Vocal: Speak Up for Mental Health initiative. The campaign encourages individuals to speak up for themselves in asking for help and to learn how to speak out for others in the community.



Actress Glenn Close has been outspoken and active in bringing national attention to the issue of mental illness. After seeing her sister cope with a mental illness and the stigma associated with it, Close founded the nonprofit advocacy organization of Bring Change 2 Mind.  



Actor Joey Pantoliano, has also been active in talking about his personal struggles with depression and substance use. He is raising awareness and fighting stigma through his No Kidding, Me Too! foundation.  Among its many activities, NKM2 promotes messages of empowerments and acceptance through an award-winning documentary of the same name and a series of public service announcements.



Brooke Shields has publicly shared her experience with postpartum depression and written her story of despair and recovery in a memoir, “Down Came the Rain: My Journey Through Postpartum Depression.” Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia of “Star Wars” fame) has taken her advocacy to the stage with her autobiographical one-woman play “Wishful Drinking,” where she tells her story of bipolar disorder and substance use with openness and humor.


As Jeffrey Borenstein, M.D., president and CEO of the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation, noted in a recent interview with CNN, "When celebrities speak publicly about their own experiences with depression or other psychiatric conditions, it's very helpful. It opens up a conversation about these issues. If someone you admire is going through the same thing you might be going through, it makes a difference with people, it causes people to seek help."


Borenstein is also host of a PBS series on mental health issues called Healthy Minds.  You can view past episodes on topics such as bipolar disorder, autism, schizophrenia, and more online at WLIW – Healthy Minds.



By Deborah Cohen, senior writer, American Psychiatric Association

Diversity, Culture, and Mental Health

Diverse Populations and Mental Health

July is the American Psychiatric Association’s Diversity Mental Health Month, a time to appreciate the diversity among us and to focus on the unique mental health issues of diverse populations and efforts to reduce mental health disparities.  It’s clear we live in an increasingly diverse society, but how does that diversity relate to mental health and receiving quality mental health services?



Cultural background, including race/ethnicity and other aspects, can greatly influence how we think and feel about mental health and illness, how we experience symptoms, how we communicate about mental illness, and how and where we seek help.  Some people may be reluctant to talk about mental health concerns out of fear or shame, some people may seek help from faith leaders, while others may turn to a family doctor or a mental health professional.  (See the infographic from APA:  Mental Health and Diverse Populations.)

Extensive research tells us that ethnic and racial disparities in mental health care exist. A new report from Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) notes that among adults with mental illness, whites, American Indian/Alaska Natives, and adults reporting two or more races reported higher mental health service use than black, Asian, and Hispanic adults. (See chart.)

Being aware of differences in the use of mental health services among different ethnic/racial population groups is critical for mental health professionals. That is part of what Diversity Mental Health Month is about – increasing understanding among psychiatrists about the influences of cultural diversity in their practices.



The SAMHSA report also looked at why people don’t use mental health services.  Adults across all racial/ethnic groups cited the same reason most frequently for not using mental health services:  the cost of services cost or lack of insurance.  Other reasons included:  low perceived need; stigma; and structural barriers. Concern about whether mental health services would help was the least cited reason by all racial/ethnic groups.


The top barrier to care, cost, may at least be partly addressed as more people gain access to mental health care with the Affordable Care Act and the Mental Health Parity Act. Many organizations, including the APA, are working to improve cultural sensitivity and to reduce the stigma of mental health, particularly among racial and ethnic minority populations.


By Ranna Parekh, M.D., M.P.H., Director

APA Division of Diversity and Health Equity



This post is part of an ongoing series spotlighting diversity from APA’s Division of Diversity and Health Equity.

Don’t Over-Tax Yourself Over Tax Season!

With the April 15 tax deadline looming, it’s an anxious time
for many people. Try these tips to keep your financial stress under
control at tax time ­— and all year round.

Break It Up. A mountain of paperwork for your tax
return or for any other financial responsibility, like applying for a college
loan or mortgage, can seem overwhelming. Break up the process into smaller
chunks, such as gathering pay stubs, finding your home mortgage interest
statements, or organizing your receipts. Then tackle each task one by one. But
before you do so…

Make a Plan. This is even more important when you’re
on a tight deadline (like being just a few days away from April 15). Once
you’ve broken down what you need to accomplish into pieces, put those steps in
order and write down how and when you’re going to make each one happen. This
will help you feel like you have control over the process. Being out of control
is very stressful!

Keep Mentally Fit. Eat well, get a full night’s
sleep, find a way to exercise every day, and connect with friends and loved
ones. Financial deadlines may have you feeling like you need to lock yourself
away and pull an all-nighter with a bag of potato chips and your 1040, but
you’ll just raise your stress level, and you probably won’t accomplish your
goal anyway.

Resist Unhealthy Temptations. When stress arises,
it’s tempting to cope in unhealthy ways such as binge eating, smoking, or drinking
alcohol. Avoid these negative coping strategies. Instead of a cigarette or a
glass of wine, take a walk or call a friend to vent.

Don’t Go It Alone. It’s not too late to get help. Ask
for help from a spouse, a trusted friend, or ideally, a financial professional
like a certified public accountant. Some tax professionals will even save you
the step of visiting their office and will review your documents and
calculations online. Having too much on your shoulders and no help is a recipe
for anxiety.

Request an Extension. If you’re utterly overwhelmed
and you feel like there’s no way you’ll have it all together by April 15, talk
to a tax professional about how to request an extension on filing. You’ll still
have to pay your estimated taxes on time (or pay interest), but you’ll have an
extra six months to get your paperwork in order.

Plan Ahead for Next Year. If you’ve procrastinated
about your taxes this year, use the stress you’re experiencing now as you try
to get everything together at the last minute for a good cause: Keeping you on
track to plan ahead for tax time 2016. Set a realistic budget and stick to it,
and keep track of your finances as you go along. Having a plan and living
within your means makes your life much less stressful.

by David Ginsberg,
M.D., clinical associate professor and vice chair for clinical affairs,
Department of Psychiatry, and chief of the Psychiatry Service, NYU Langone
Medical Center in New York City.