The month of May is observed as Mental Health Awareness Month! As a mental health professional, I see the profound effects that both unity and division in the family have on the human person. I see the joy, sorrow, and anger that our most core relationships illicit form the human heart. One of the greatest predictors of positive outcomes for clients in therapy is having a supportive and stable family life. Research consistently points to the reality that intact families are strongly associated with strong mental health. It also consistently shows that familial breakdown, especially when accompanied by abuse and high levels of conflict, are strongly associated with the development of mental disorders.
The family is where the human person learns to relate to others. It is “the school of love” as St. John Paul II often called it. It is where we are each supposed to learn that love is given freely and how to navigate situations in which love has been withheld or distorted. It is the domestic Church. What happens when we don’t have a stable and secure place to learn about love, especially in our first years of life? Our spirits, minds, and bodies react as they fight to adapt to a way of life that they were not made for. As they adapt to heartache and pain brought on by the confusion and despair of broken relationships the psychological health of the human person takes a toll.
Is it a coincidence that at the same time trends in marriage and divorce dramatically deviated from historical norms, that a greater need for mental health care arose? In the 20th century, the divorce rate quadrupled. And since 1989, prescriptions for SSRI’s in adults have consistently risen. While it would be difficult to prove that divorce is directly responsible for the increased rates of depression our society has faced in the last century, would it be outlandish to state that the social environment created through the normalization of divorce has contributed significantly to the rise of mental health disorders?
In recent months, RFK’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) campaign calling to reform psychiatric prescription practices, specifically for SSRIs, has gained both intense support and criticism. Understandably, many have strong feelings regarding these drugs. In my time as an adolescent and child therapist, I have had a close-up view of how these drugs are prescribed and the needs that they often address. While I will refrain from speaking on whether or not these drugs are being abused or offer positive benefits for patients I cannot help but notice their rise that coincides with one of the most isolating times in human history. Following the normalization of divorce and disintegration of nuclear family norms in the 20th century, humanity has increasingly sought out relief for depression and anxiety through medical means with SSRIs being one of the many ways in which we have done so. Should we be surprised?
If we are to reverse our ever-growing mental health crisis, I firmly believe that we must first look at strengthening our home lives through intentional relationships that model our Lord’s mercy and justice. And while no family will be perfect in this, it is apparent that a universal rededication of intention for unified families is greatly needed. We need family’s that are fiercely intent on remaining together throughout hardship and conflict (and the Church recognizes when this is not possible due to abuse).
Intentional unity and perseverance in the family unit is how generations to come may live as they were made to, in loving relationship. And while mental health resources and psychiatric medication may always have a place, these resources can be provided in the presence of a strong support system, bolstering effects and positive outcomes. With marriage rates on the decline in the 21st century, how can we encourage young people in our lives to stand up heroically and create secure united homes where our future generations can learn and grow through safe and stable families? It starts with how we love today!
This Mental Health Awareness Month let us remember that there is a reason Mother Church has always promoted the foundational and irreplaceable role of the family. And its role, as supported by research, cannot be overlooked when considering treatment for mental illness.
This blog is not meant to be clinical advice. If you believe you may benefit from psychiatric medication please speak to a licensed psychiatrist or physician for consultation. Views expressed are not representative of mental health agencies associated with the author.
