Communities can be an invaluable resource for those dealing with mental illness. Most communities offer education and awareness programs to help increase knowledge about mental health challenges and the stigma that surrounds it. Many people are frightened of mental illness simply because they don’t understand it. Stigma is often diminished when a person meets someone struggling with a mental health challenge, yet holds a job or contributes to community life in another way. Negative perceptions change when people have positive experiences.
And a close-knit community can form a better support group for a member struggling with mental health challenges, helping to reduce these mental illness-related stigmas. Community events, for instance (even if not mental-health related) can bring people together, creating ties to a community as well as a sense of belonging.
People who have a faith community, or are engaged in other types of social communities, can build strong networks in which they feel comfortable seeking and receiving the help that they need.
