Nearly half of Americans turn to friends and family for support with their mental health but often feel ‘misunderstood’
A quarter feel misunderstood when seeking help(Image: Getty Images)
When life becomes too much, nearly half of Americans naturally seek support from friends and family, according to a survey of 2,000 adults. However, two-thirds who have opened up found the person they confided in wasn’t able to help them cope.
A quarter of participants either felt misunderstood, or felt the person they turned to couldn’t help because they were dealing with their own problems.
And while 33% look for emotional support at least once a week, 74% worry they’re imposing on those around them. Consequently, feeling like a burden has prevented 69% from speaking up at all.
The study was conducted by BetterHelp to celebrate the launch of its Therapist Match Commitment, which aims to pair every client with a professional who’s the right fit for their specific needs to ensure quality results.
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Many felt like a burden asking for help(Image: Getty Images)
Fernando Madeira, president of the online therapy provider, said: “While our loved ones provide invaluable emotional support, this data reveals a clear gap between the support people need and what even the most caring friends and family can realistically provide.
“Many of us simply aren’t equipped with the training or emotional tools to help someone manage life’s many challenges. And when both people are already under stress, these conversations can leave everyone feeling overwhelmed.”
Despite friends and family encouraging their loved ones to seek therapy, many still don’t follow through. The main barrier was affordability, while a third believed they could manage on their own.
A whopping 75% of respondents said that difficulty finding the “right” therapist prevented them from getting mental health support.
Even among those who sought professional help, 32% struggled to find a therapist who was the right fit – leading 74%to skip sessions or stop therapy altogether.
Fernando Madeira from BetterHelp, which reported a 72% reduction in symptoms in its clients over 12 weeks, said: “A negative or mismatched therapy experience doesn’t just end that relationship, it can end someone’s willingness to try therapy altogether.
“We hear from people all the time who say they tried therapy once, it didn’t click, and they assumed therapy just ‘wasn’t for them’ or that their problems were too complicated to fix. The reality is, they may just have not yet found the right therapist yet.
“That’s why we’ve invested so heavily in our matching process – which draws on over a decade of experience in data-driven, tailored matching. And we really see the difference that a good match can make.
“More than 3 out of 4 people continued working with their therapist after getting matched this year and 82% are likely to recommend their therapist to others. That’s the kind of therapeutic connection that changes lives.”