Half of U.S. respondents cited mental health as the top health concern, a stark increase from a few years ago.

People are worried about their mental health just as they might be about acquiring a debilitating illness.

There are a number of reasons why concern for our mental health has increased so dramatically.

Just seven years ago, polling revealed that 27 percent of a worldwide sample group viewed mental health as their biggest health concern. More recent polling by market research and consulting firm Ipsos shows that this number has jumped to 45 percent and now outpaces concerns about cancer, stress, obesity, and drug abuse. Fifty percent of U.S. respondents cited mental health as their top health concern. Many in the mental health field will attest to this, as we have seen our caseloads grow and demand for our services continue to increase. Common mental health challenges such as anxiety, stress, and depression have always been present, but how and why did such a serious increase occur, and what can be done to address this shocking reality?

The upside of this significant increase in concern about mental health is that it indicates that people are thinking about it, paying attention to it, and actively assessing how they are coping, feeling, and responding to stressors. Mental health has become mainstream and is now widely recognized as an important part of overall health. No longer do we view mental health or self-care as “trends” or “fads.” Rather, we recognize them as vital to our well-being. The troubling part, however, is that nearly half of those polled across 30 countries viewed mental health as a “concern.” People are actively worried about their psychological well-being, just as they might be concerned about acquiring a debilitating illness or disease. There is good reason for this heightened........

© Psychology Today