Conversations about mental health are extremely important to have. Although the topic has been relatively taboo to discuss until recent years, it’s certainly a prevalent one. Nearly one in five adults in the United States lives with a mental illness, and the World Health Organization estimates that about 5% of adults around the globe suffer from depression. Over 700,000 individuals die due to suicide each year, and unfortunately, many of those people suffer in silence. It’s important to be open about our struggles with mental health issues to let others know that they’re not alone and that it can always get better. 

According to BetterUp, having open discussions about mental health can help individuals understand their own symptoms and seek treatment or a diagnosis. Mental illness can feel extremely isolating, and there is, unfortunately, often a stigma linked to reaching out for help. But by properly educating people on how common these struggles are, we can work to eliminate any shame commonly associated with mental illness and perhaps, even find some humor along the way.

Humans are interesting creatures, and we tend to search for some comedy anywhere we possibly can. Yes, there are certain topics that are always off limits in regards to cracking jokes. But, when it comes to making fun of ourselves, we can usually get away with anything. Self-deprecating humor isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but if you can find joy in laughing at yourself, without actually harming your mental health, I say enjoy all of the mental illness memes you like! In fact, according to one study from Sheffield Hallam University in the UK, mental health memes might actually be able to help alleviate some symptoms of anxiety and depression.

“Following the culmination of our work in the area, and the recent increase in studies related to internet memes, we wanted to explore the psychological impact that mental health-related memes may have for individuals experiencing psychiatric symptoms,” says Dr Umair Akram, one of the researchers of the study. Despite the fact that memes of this nature are often disparaged, the researchers noted that 47% of college students report engaging with internet memes as a way of “alleviating psychiatric symptoms”, as they allow them to laugh and connect with others who experience the same feelings.  

The researchers at Sheffield Hallam University aren’t the only ones discussing the benefits of memes on mental health, though. Dr. Shainna Ali, LMHC, NCC, also wrote an article for Psychology Today discussing the exact same topic, and she notes that she is totally on board with using memes for mental health. “I have been using memes in therapy both as a client and as a creative counselor for years, and I want to share why you may want to consider doing the same,” Dr. Ali writes. She first explains that memes are more widespread than mental health knowledge, so they can be helpful in spreading mental health awareness.  

Dr. Ali also writes that memes can help normalize mental health issues. “In this vulnerable time, if you come across a mental health meme, you may feel seen,” she says. “As isolated as you may feel in that moment, the fact of the matter is that someone somewhere made a meme that relates to your experience. Recognizing that can help to normalize your experience and minimize your sense of isolation. On top of that, seeing the meme's popularity (i.e., likes, comments, reshares) helps to normalize what you’re enduring.” The popularity of the Mental Illness and Memes Facebook page speaks for itself. If you relate to any of the photos on this list, you can feel safe knowing that thousands (or perhaps even millions!) of other people out there have felt the exact same way.

Dr. Ali goes on to explain how memes can be utilized in counseling to help patients express how they’re feeling. “In an instance in which there may be a gap in communication, a meme, loaded with nuanced detail in one small graphic, could help to fill that void,” she writes. “Even without the counselor's prompting, there can be a place for memes in therapy if a provider is open to a client proactively using them as a reference for emotional intelligence. For example, a client may begin a session with an update from a recent event. While they may struggle to discern the emotion, they may have already connected their experience to a meme. Bringing the meme up without being probed could help the pair accelerate processing.”

Particularly during recent years, as we’ve been dealing with a global pandemic as well as our typical mental health struggles, memes have become a way to cope with our isolation and the uncertainty of the state of the world. Researchers at Pennsylvania State University have also been interested in this topic and decided to explore whether memes related to COVID-19 are able to help individuals lower their stress levels. “What we found was that if you viewed memes, you were in a better mood which made you feel more confident in your ability to cope with life during the pandemic,” said Jessica Myrick, professor of media studies at the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications.    

The researchers at Penn State conducted an experiment with 748 participants who were shown a set of three images. Half of the participants were shown memes, while the rest were shown various other images. And while the memes were not found to reduce COVID-related stress levels, they were found to increase positive emotions, which has helped participants cope with the pandemic. “COVID-19 is super stressful, so this is not surprising,” Myrick says. And while she does note that they’re not a perfect fix for handling anxiety, “It will take a lot more than a few cats to lower our stress about a pandemic.” Memes can definitely be a useful tool in keeping a positive attitude.

While there might not be too much research about how memes can improve our mental health (yet!), it’s well documented that laughter is something we should all be seeking in our daily lives. According to HelpGuide, some of the benefits of laughing regularly are how it relaxes the body, boosts the immune system, triggers the release of endorphins, protects the heart by increasing blood flow and helps us let go of anger. Mental health issues often do require professional help, so please don't assume that memes can fix all of your problems. But our therapists can’t be around 24/7. So on our own time, it’s great to seek out memes, jokes, funny shows and hilarious friends who will give us our daily dose of laughter and remind us that we’re going to be okay, no matter what we’re struggling with on the inside.  

Has your mental health improved or declined since looking at these memes, pandas? If you’re really not in a great place, do not hesitate to reach out for help, but if you’re already taking the steps to improve your mental health by speaking to professionals, there’s nothing wrong with adding a daily dose of memes into your routine as well. Laughter is the best medicine, anyway, right? Keep upvoting the photos that relate to your current mental state, and then let us know in the comments down below what your best tips are for nurturing your mental health. And if you’re looking for even more memes you might want to discuss with your therapist, check out this Bored Panda list next!