Are you a millennial? Maybe part of Gen X or Gen Z? If you want mental health advice after finding out Mental health myths you should stop believingYou probably wouldn’t want to ask a baby boomer.
The reason is simple: Boomers tend to hold on to some outdated ideas about topics like getting treatment for mental health conditions or undergoing talk therapy afterward. Find the right mental health therapist. Many people of younger generations cannot tolerate this style of thinking, as shown in Reddit Comments from non-Boomers make sweeping statements like “Boomers don’t seem to empathize or understand people.”
Perhaps the biggest baby boomer slogan that doesn’t make sense to younger generations is their willingness to accept (rather than resist) the stigma around seeking outside help for problems like depression, anxiety, or just the unpredictability of life. A 2025 Harris Paul It found that 84% of people believe there is a stigma attached to the phrase ‘mental illness’, with 35% admitting they would see someone in a different light if the person had a mental illness.
Shame and misunderstanding
Boomers aren’t any more fans of therapy than they are of seeing mental health in a positive light, either. In an interview with NewsweekTherapist Joey Berkheimer explained why. “They grew up in a time when the stigma around mental health was stronger, and seeking help could be seen as a sign of failure or weakness,” she noted. “Boomers aren’t evading treatment because they’re tougher than younger generations,” generational expert Brian Driscoll told Newsweek. “They avoid treatment because they feel ashamed of it.”
Another roadblock to mental health for baby boomers may be the idea that feeling stressed or anxious is somehow just an expected aspect of getting older. A 2015 He studies Research in International Geriatric Psychiatry showed that half of survey participants over 60 said they felt mood disorders were normal experiences of aging and not a trigger for seeking medical advice.
Beyond the stigma and normalization of mental health conditions, many boomers may honestly feel that they simply don’t need any kind of mental health help. A YouGov The survey indicated that 71% of baby boomers believed their mental health was strong. In contrast, only 44% of Generation Z said the same about themselves. Lack of trust may also play a role in what boomers believe: 2022 review In the Journal of Applied Gerontology it was discovered that mistrust of medical professionals (sometimes based on bad previous encounters) was the motivation behind avoiding mental health treatment in older adults.
Treatment and therapies to heal and support the older generation
Ironically, baby boomers could benefit greatly if they abandoned their deeply held beliefs about mental health in general. According to 2020 condition In preventing chronic disease, many baby boomers are more likely to be caregivers. In turn, this additional role may contribute to the worsening of their psychological condition over time. As mental health expert Dr. Donald A. Malone Central psychological“We know for sure that baby boomers have a higher prevalence of depression than the generation before them.”
In other words, people from younger generations who are frustrated with traditional views of boomer mental health may be able to help their elders overcome their old beliefs, as well as others. Health myths that doctors wish they would stop believing.
Amy Dickinson is an advice columnist Mercury Newsperhaps she said it best when answering a question from angry millennials taking on baby boomer parents. “I think it is helpful and compassionate to your generation to give your parents credit for raising you to be fully in touch with your own feelings,” Dickinson wrote. “I hope you can encourage your parents to do the same.”
If you or someone you know needs mental health help, please contact Crisis text line By texting HOME to 741741, call the number National Alliance on Mental Illness Helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit National Institute of Mental Health website.
