Do We Really Care About Mental Health, or Is It Just a Trend?

May is the month of mental health and as usual, every corner has individuals, and organizations putting in place events and activities surrounding the topic and how it affects our daily lives. Mental health literacy is an imperative and a very serious topic that needs to be well taught thoroughly at schools, hospitals and at the work place.

Recent trends show that mental health is no longer a hush-hush topic. It’s being talked about openly, and rightfully so. Studies from the World Health Organization (WHO) reveal that 1 in 8 people globally live with a mental health condition. That’s a significant number, and it’s only growing. In Ghana, a 2023 report by the Mental Health Authority indicated that more than 3.1 million Ghanaians live with mild to severe mental health conditions, yet only a small percentage seek or have access to professional support.

Before the internet and even now in communities with low mental health literacy, mental health conditions were misunderstood. People who exhibited signs of mental illness were quickly labeled as “mad” or “crazy” and assumed to be street dwellers. It was a deeply stigmatized subject, tied to misinformation. But things have changed. Movements are rising, and people are learning that mental health exists just like a headache, and we all fall somewhere on it.

But, Do We Really Care About Mental Health, or Is It Just Clout?

It’s great that mental health is getting more attention now than ever. Social media is flooded with quotes, campaigns, and “check on your friends” posts. But the question remains, do we truly care, or are we just riding the wave for likes and trends?

While the increased awareness is a step in the right direction, we must be careful not to water down the seriousness of mental health. Not everyone posting about it understands it, and that’s where the danger lies. When mental health becomes trendy but not treated with depth, those genuinely struggling risk being overlooked or dismissed.

Additionally, it is important to put in place systems that work: school counselors who are not just figureheads, workplaces that offer real mental health days, because people are dying silently at workplaces and communities that replace stigma with support. We must normalize checking on our mental health the same way we check our blood pressure or go for malaria tests. Because the truth is mental health is health.

The conversation should go beyond hashtags and more on real tags behind the cameras.

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