Philanthropic Giving for Mental Health Far Too Low

Mental Health Philanthropy Inches Up, But Still Lags Far Behind the Need

In 2018, some preliminary research from the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for High Impact Philanthropy found that only 1.3% of all dollars donated by foundations and philanthropists went to mental health. Ever since then, the sector has been called out for giving too little attention – and too few dollars – to address a critical need.

Now a new report from Mindful Philanthropy has examined giving from 2015 to 2022 and found that philanthropic giving for mental health has increased a bit faster than the rate of inflation – but still is a tiny fraction of the overall charitable pie. In 2022, dollars going to mental health represented just 1.7% of all philanthropic giving and made up less than 6% of all health-related giving.

Kristen Ward

New program in Maine offers mental health support to Afghan refugees

In many cases, as Shabana Siddiqui knows, it’s only after a person finally escapes from a war zone that their mental health disintegrates. She’s seen it in the Afghan refugees she helps settle into life in the US Though physically safe, the body and mind don’t always recognize they’re no longer under constant threat. A native of Afghanistan herself, Siddiqui has worked as a health educator with Maine Immigrant and Refugee Services for two years, providing Afghan parents and children with social and practical support. “You go there as a friend and you build (a) report so they can easily share everything with you,” Siddiqui told NPR.

One family she’s been supporting fled Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover. Mohammad and Khadija Rahmani, along with their sons, Mujib, 12, and Munib, 19, arrived in Maine this past January, finding physical safety, but still battling mental trauma. “We thank God a thousand times that we can start our life anew here,” said Khadija, but they remain emotionally unsettled. “My husband and I stay awake until 1:30, 2 or 3 o’clock at night because I still have that trauma from the Taliban’s regime in my brain.” Mujib also suffers from severe anxiety and PTSD, worsened by bullying at school and the stress of moving to a wholly new physical and cultural environment.

Theresa Betancourt, a Boston College researcher, said refugee children often face long-term mental health issues due to the violence and upheaval they’ve experienced, including elevated rates of depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Connecting their parents – who carry the same emotional and mental burdens – to critical mental health and life resources is crucial to getting children everything they need to mitigate the impacts of trauma, she said. People like Siddiqui, who come from the same culture and have faced the same challenges, are well equipped to guide people to needed resources.

It took Siddiqui and her husband several months to secure an apartment after they moved to the US in 2022, because they lacked a credit history. They also struggled to find jobs due to language barriers. “I can even tell you from my own experience, that the lack of getting a job, or unemployment, really strains your relationship,” she said. Betancourt noted that those are times when households are at greatest risk for violence or harsh interactions between parents and children.

Khadija Rahmani is grateful to have Siddiqui to lean on when she’s not sure she can push through. Disheartened about learning English, Khadija recalled, “She motivated me, saying ‘It’s not hard. At least you are educated and you can read and write,” Siddiqui told her. “It will help you to learn English.’”

Siddiqui also helped Khadijah find a job and learn positive parenting strategies to support Mujib through his ongoing struggles to adjust. He’s deeply homesick, but less anxious than before, and beginning to open up in conversations with Siddiqui, Khadija said. To motivate him, his mother is warm and encouraging, and a strategy that studies show is protective for child survivors of trauma. “I say, ‘No one is better than you. No one is more handsome than you,’” Khadija said, smiling.

Want better relationships? Be intellectually humble. It’s good for your learning, too.

Dmitry Demidovich./Shutterstock

The sooner we humans accept that none of us knows it all, the better off our species will be. Intellectual humility helps us “overcome this very categorical, black-and-white thinking that we are often succumbing to,” University of Waterloo psychology professor Igor Grossmann told the Washington Post. It also helps us to improve ourselves – and our relationships – by keeping us curious and open-minded about one another.

In highly polarized times, like the political and election season we’re in now, it can keep us focused on our shared humanity. “We’re still part of the same planet. …We breathe the same air,” Grossmann said. “You become less defensive, because it’s less about you versus them. “It’s a bit more about us.”

That’s tough to do since we all want to be right, added Tenelle Porter, a psychology professor at Rowan University. But research also suggests that intellectual humility fosters better learning and societal functioning. For instance, admitting to a mistake or not having all the answers can make one appear more competent, not less, as people report greater satisfaction with intellectually humble leaders. It’s also associated with prosocial values like empathy, listening to others, and remaining open to connection following interpersonal conflict.

Intellectually humble people also tend to be more curious and less likely to fall for misinformation, searching for strong evidence to support their knowledge and standing up for known truth. “You can be intellectually humble and intellectually courageous at the same time,” said Pepperdine psychology professor Elizabeth Krumrei Mancuso.

The one major downside to intellectual humility is that genuinely humble people downplay what they truly do know and may underestimate their own abilities. It may also be a “costly strategy” in certain leadership contexts, like the military or a hostile workplace, where team confidence is crucial and little time exists to weigh all sides of an issue, Grossman said. It’s still a worthwhile quality to develop, and can be fostered through several strategies, researchers said.

Reflecting on the benefits of intellectual humility before stepping into a contentious conversation can keep you calm and focused on your reasons for engaging in the interaction at all. Most of all, though, a healthy gratitude practice is the strongest predictor of intellectual humility. It sparks other “self-transcendent” emotions like love and awe, placing a temporary focus on being a part of something bigger than yourself. “You can’t be grateful and take credit at the same time,” Krumrei Mancuso said.

In other news…

Legislative happiness: Findings from a recent survey by the Public Policy Institute of California reveal that 55% of Californians believe the state is headed in the wrong direction, the government only does things right “some of the time” and many others expect financial difficulties ahead – which is right on time for former Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, who led a legislative committee on happiness to discover what the government can do to improve the happiness of Californians. The committee’s findings were similar, reports CalMatters, showing growing unhappiness across the state, especially in inland counties and areas with lower incomes.

Happiness is seen as a byproduct of the work we do (as a government) to build housing, improve education, and boost wages, among other things. But is that all that leads to happiness? Or do we have a responsibility to do more, to examine happiness more closely as an outright goal? Rendon asked in the report. Its key findings show that poverty increases the likelihood of anxiety and depression, while strong social connections boost happiness. As a result, the committee suggests that lawmakers explicitly consider happiness in policymaking, collaborate across agencies, and focus on establishing trust with the public.

Superstar singer-songwriter Chappel Roan shared that she’s been recently diagnosed with depression. “I went to a psychiatrist last week because I was like, I don’t know what’s going on,” Roan said in a recent profile with The Guardian. “She diagnosed me with severe depression – which I didn’t think I had because I’m not actually sad,” Roan continued. “But I have every symptom of someone who’s severely depressed,” including brain fog, forgetfulness, poor focus and “a very lackluster viewpoint.” The singer has exploded in popularity this year, with an album that hit #2 on the Billboard 200 charts, seven Hot 100 songs in the past five months, and a sold-out tour. But fame has challenged Roan’s mental health.

Diagnosed with bipolar disorder four years ago, the 26-year-old said that she loves being able to do her “dream job,” but she misses lots about her old life. “I get to feel the energy of other people. It’s so cool to have shows so packed and have so much joy in the room,” she said. On the other hand, “Everything that I really love to do now comes with baggage. If I want to go thrifting, I have to book security and prepare myself that this is not going to be normal. … every time I walk through my front door, it just comes out of me … I can’t even help it, I just start sobbing and either being so angry at myself for choosing this path, or grieving how the curiosity and pure wonder I had about the world is somewhat taken away from me.”

If you or someone you know is in crisis or experiencing suicidal thoughts, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and connect in English or Spanish. If you’re a veteran press 1. If you’re deaf or hard of hearing dial 711, then 988. Services are free and available 24/7.