Volume 10: February 12, 2023
Written/Edited by: Fidha, Mana, and Remi
Be Mine, Valentine!
With Valentine’s Day approaching, the relevance of romantic relationships is ever so high; you may even be in one for the holiday! Naturally, there’s a world of mental health behind this aspect of life that means so much to so many. It can be generally assumed—whether from love songs and romance novels or from real life experience(s)—that breaking up makes you sad, and being in love makes you happy; however, there’s so much more to it all than just that! Firstly, platonic relationships are in the same boat as romantic ones. Of course, some people value one more than the other, but in the mental health-sense they’re essentially parallels. There’s a popular myth that you might’ve heard, which goes something along the lines of “all people with a severe mental illness(es) cannot maintain healthy relationships with peers”; although everyone has their own varying, personal situations, do not let this ideology discourage you! The National Alliance on Mental Illness reassures that long-term, strong, and supportive relationships are always possible; any condition shouldn’t keep you from living your life to the fullest and securing a meaningful connection with people that you wish to spend your time with. One thing that’s important when navigating said relationships is to let the other person(s) be aware of your illness. This prevents miscommunication, fights the stigma of mental health overall, and combats any nature of the “what they don’t know won’t hurt them” mentality that you may have.
For more specifics, explore the interesting scientific details of this topic below!
So...why?
As mentioned above, everyone may have their own personal struggles and situations. But this doesn’t mean that they cannot maintain or be in healthy relationships. Research shows that mental illnesses often lead a person to have a decreased quality of life in many areas, including connections with others. Even so, studies show that having good communication and being open with the other person can greatly benefit one’s mental health. There may be some struggles that you and the other person will have to face together, but there are resources and strategies to combat that. It is important to seek help if you or a loved one is struggling with a mental health illness. They deserve support and understanding, and it should be remembered that mental health illnesses are not a moral issue or flaw in character. When combating a mental health illness, knowledge of that condition is often important. It can allow you to manage it better and more positively. Working on communication skills with your partner may also help you work together to get through difficulties. Be sure to remember to take care of yourself as well. Self-care has been proven to be able to reduce anxiety and depression, minimize stress, and increase happiness. This can help better equip you and your partner to support each other. There has been research that shows that being in a positive, trusting relationship can benefit mental health. For all relationships, both individuals should feel supported and safe. Always remember to work with your partner and communicate with them about any struggles you may be going through. A mental health illness shouldn’t prevent you from having a healthy, loving relationship with your partner. You can do this!
Data
1) 74% of people surveyed with a mental health problem said they regularly talk about their mental health with their partner, and about 3 of 5 of these people said it ‘made the relationship easier to manage.’ [1]
2) 60% people with mental health problems said being in a relationship has had a ‘positive impact’ on their mental health. [1]
3) 50% of couples or partners surveyed said dating someone with a mental health problem wasn’t as daunting as they thought it might be. [1]
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Sources:
Mind.ord (2013, April 22). Mental health and romantic relationships research released today. https://www.mind.org.uk/news-campaigns/news/mental-health-and-romantic-relationships-research-released-today/. [1]
Gilburt, H., Rose, D. & Slade, M (2008, April 25). The importance of relationships in mental health care: A qualitative study of service users' experiences of psychiatric hospital admission in the UK. BMC Health Serv Res 8, 92 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6963-8-92. [2]
Simon, R. W., & Barrett, A. E. (2010). Nonmarital Romantic Relationships and Mental Health in Early Adulthood: Does the Association Differ for Women and Men? Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 51(2), 168–182. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022146510372343. [3]
Braithwaite, S. and Holt-Lunstad J. (2017). Romantic relationships and mental health. Current Opinion in Psychology. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352250X16300252. [4]
Soller, B. (2014). Caught in a Bad Romance: Adolescent Romantic Relationships and Mental Health. Journal of Health and Social Behavior. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0022146513520432. [5]
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