Using a Trauma-Informed Approach to Fight Stigma

If we want to help youth feel more comfortable talking about mental health and seeking help, it’s important that we use a trauma-informed approach when discussing mental health and mental health stigma. A trauma-informed approach is based on understanding that people’s actions and feelings are often shaped by past experiences, not because something is “wrong”
with them. As the saying goes, “It’s not what’s wrong with you, it’s what happened to you.” This means looking at people with compassion and curiosity instead of judgment when we see a behavior or situation we don’t understand or dislike. A trauma-informed approach can help children and teens feel more comfortable talking about their own mental health or seeking
support when they need it.

It’s also important to watch for assumptions that we might make about mental health and finding help. Not everyone finds support in the same way. Some prefer mental health treatments such as therapy or medications, while others rely on other types of support, such as spiritual guidance or conversations with trusted elders. Some people benefit from a combination of supports. Respect these choices and remember that there are many paths to healing. By reducing assumptions, we can reduce judgment and make others, including youth, feel more comfortable talking about the supports they have and supports they need for their own mental health.

Here are some questions you can ask yourself about using a trauma-informed approach and checking assumptions:

1. Am I showing compassion and understanding in my interactions?
   a. Am I considering how a person’s behavior might be influenced by their past?
   b. Am I avoiding judgment when I talk to or about others?
2. Do I know how to recognize possible signs of trauma?
   a. If not, am I continuing to learn about those signs?
3. Am I assuming that I know the “right” answer in this situation?
   a. Have I considered that other ways of talking about or treating mental health might be beneficial?
   b. Do I respect the ways that others find support?
4. Would the way I am talking make someone with a mental health concern feel more comfortable asking me for support?
5. Do my actions show that I recognize the impact of trauma and avoid assumptions?
   a. Am I behaving in a more compassionate way?
   b. Am I supporting others in seeking or maintain different types of help for their mental health?