Meanwhile, their parents—who did not receive such interventions—were asked if they could recognize different issues, whether they would seek help for their child if a mental health issue was detected, whether their child had ever taken medication for a mental health problem, and how willing they’d be to allow their child to engage with a peer who had known mental health issues.
In general, when looking at children with high self-reported mental health symptoms, “parents who had more knowledge about mental health or positive attitudes toward help-seeking were more likely to seek help for their children regardless of gender,” says Villatoro. However, there was a noted difference between the parents of boys and girls when parents recognized a mental health problem in their child. “It didn’t matter if a parent could label their son as having a mental health issue; they still didn’t seek services for him,” she says. “But it did matter for girls. So, if a parent labeled their daughter’s symptoms as a mental health issue, they were more likely to engage with healthcare providers.” Parents who labeled their girls as having a mental health problem were almost two-times more likely to engage in medical support than parents of boys who applied the same label.
What’s up with the disparity? First, there are issues around labeling, which Villatoro says is a sort of double-edged sword. On one hand, labeling something as a mental health symptom can be useful for understanding how to respond to someone’s needs. On the other hand, it can lead to stigmatization and “othering.” Secondly, though parents weren’t asked why they were hesitant to seek mental health help for their sons, Villatoro says it could point to gender stereotyping and expectations of masculinity within the wider culture.
“Boys will be boys, and they have to toughen up, right?” she says. “Plus, when you look at patterns of mental illness among children, boys tend to have more externalizing problems such as aggressive behaviors or hyperactivity or attention problems, all of which could just be couched as ‘boy behavior.’ Whereas if a girl is experiencing some of those symptoms, that could be seen as more problematic.”
To combat these inequalities, Villatoro says the fight has to happen on multiple levels. The original study found that classroom interventions that focused on increasing knowledge on mental health issues and building empathy toward those who struggle were hugely successful at improving students’ notions around mental health. “But the curriculum did not address gender patterns around help-seeking and stigma. Unfortunately, our society has created this narrative that men should not seek help, that it’s a sign of weakness,” Villatoro says. Early intervention combating such gender stereotypes is critical.
Moreover, Villatoro says such interventions need to include greater gender diversity. “How do we incorporate multiple perspectives of gender? Because we do see nonbinary and transgender people struggle with mental health issues at higher rates [than their cisgender peers],” she says. Then, public health campaigns, via social and traditional media, and policy discussions must include a greater focus on mental health. “There’s a lot of work that needs to be done,” she says.
Finally, parents need to be involved in their kids’ mental health care education from the jump. They also need to be educated themselves since they play such an important role in finding mental health care for their children. And the earlier in a kid’s life that a parent can advocate for them, the better, Villatoro says. “Because when you start young, you’re helping to develop a society where, as adults, these children can access services, identify issues on their own, and be more empathetic toward peers who are struggling.” And what parent wouldn’t want their kid to live in a world like that?