Lady Gaga writes a powerful op-ed on suicide and the stigma of mental health

Lady Gaga lends her powerful voice to another urgent cause.

The actress "A Star is Born" is associated with Dr. Tedros Adhanom, Director General of the World Health Organization, in a moving editorial for The Guardian calling for an end to the stigmatization of mental health services.

"Stigma, fear and lack of understanding worsen the suffering of those affected and prevent any daring action so necessary and long overdue," the two men wrote in an article titled "800,000 people are killed each year. What can we do? "Tuesday.

The two men note that mental health problems will affect one in four people in their lifetime and say that young people are particularly at risk.

"Despite the universality of the problem, we have a hard time talking about it openly or providing adequate care or resources," they added. "Within families and communities, we are often silenced by the shame that tells us that people with mental illness are somehow less worthy or responsible for their own suffering."

Both have described suicide as "the most extreme and visible symptom of the greatest mental health emergency, which we have so far failed to respond adequately."

They also reveal links between mental health and a robust economy, with particular reference to global support (less than 1%) for various services, while noting that "national funding for prevention, promotion and treatment are just as low. . "

"We can no longer afford to be silenced by the stigma or misconceptions that portray these conditions as a matter of weakness or moral failure," they continued in the op-ed. "Research shows that every dollar spent on treating depression and anxiety, the most common mental health problems, pays four times as much, making it a great investment for political leaders and employers, and more." generate savings for health. sector."

Gaga and Adhanom offer a host of examples of how people from their own communities have grappled with the problem and end the discussion by calling for "collective human action to tackle seemingly insurmountable problems."

Gaga has long been a strong advocate for mental health and suicide prevention. She founded the Born This Way Foundation with her mother in 2012 with the goal of "providing young people with real opportunities, quality resources and platforms to make their voices heard".

The singer also spoke about her own mental health issues as a survivor of sexual assault, revealing that she was suffering from PTSD.