Visual performing arts reduce stigma and improve mental health literacy among adolescents and young adults

Rates of anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation are increasing in adolescents and young adults worldwide. Methods to improve the design and delivery of interventions tailored to these groups remain a priority. Reducing the cultural stigma of mental illness perceived by adolescents and young adults plays a crucial role in the recognition and treatment of mental health disorders, especially in cultures where conversations about mental illness are considered taboo. For example, children from Asian cultures often are taught to suppress their emotions to avoid bringing dishonor to their families. In Latino cultures, mental illness stigma is related to traditional expectations of male and female roles in the family unit. With the increasing popularity of visual and social media in recent years, traditional psychoeducation for mental health in the form of written materials for youth and families of minority cultures may be less effective. In this perspective we highlight the role of visual performing arts such as film, television, theater, and educational videos as tools to humanize mental illness and reduce its cultural stigma. Integration of characters from minority cultures has been shown to be particularly effective for decreasing stigma and increasing mental health literacy in these cultures. Use of visual performing arts for adolescent and young adult mental health education worldwide, particularly in minority cultures, thus should be a valuable tool in the recognition and timely treatment of mental health disorders. This perspective examines the role of the visual performing arts in reducing mental health stigma and increasing mental health literacy in adolescents and young adults.