From the beginning of time, two things have been constant with humans: we hate doing work and we love to make up excuses. However, something that is new to the past few decades is using mental health as an excuse.
“My mom forgot my worksheet at home.”
“My computer broke down.”
“I have depression.”
These are all common excuses I’ve heard students make about why they couldn’t complete their work. Especially in these last few years, where mental health has often been featured in the media, undiagnosed mental health has become an excuse for bad behavior, demeriting people who genuinely suffer from mental health issues.
According to a study I conducted with 30 students at Pine Creek High School, students agree the use of mental health as a school excuse has increased exponentially in high school students.
One of the core reasons for using mental health as an excuse is the increasing spotlight on mental health in society. Howard Magazine stated in 2022, “Literacy around mental health has increased exponentially, coupled with the rise of public figures speaking openly and candidly about their challenges.”
This is clearly a positive advance as mental health problems such as depression and anxiety are indeed very serious issues that need to be addressed. However, some people are taking advantage of this mental health awareness, falsely claiming that they suffer from mental health issues, just to get away from responsibility.
Dr. Balaisis at Psychology Today said in 2023, “Using one’s mental health as a standalone reason for negative behaviors can sometimes be a form of psychological avoidance.”
While people using mental health as an excuse may not suffer from mental health issues, they may suffer from avoidance issues. Some students blame mental illness as an excuse to not complete their work, but they may not be truly suffering from these issues. This behavior is harmful for students who are truly suffering from mental illness and need support and accommodations.
Choosing Therapy elaborates that symptoms of avoidance problems include, “procrastinating on tasks, avoiding social gatherings, or pushing away difficult feelings.” These habits naturally lead to consequences at work and school, so trying to find an excuse to avoid the blame is a natural response. However, no matter the circumstance, hiding from responsibility and making up mental health issues to avoid problems is not a valid reason.
The results of using mental health as an excuse can be detrimental, like those faking an excuse receiving no punishment for their harmful actions.
In a 2019 Forbes story, Imani Barbarin wrote that at times, people justify racist actions as a defense mechanism from trauma. Barbarin further states that mental health claims are no excuse for racism or transphobia. By accepting false mental health claims, people who are hurt do not receive proper justice.
Not only does this harm the person who is hurt, but it also mentally harms the people claiming mental health as an excuse. It reinforces the idea that they can get away with anything by feigning mental health problems. This, in turn, encourages accountability avoidance, and so their fear of accountability deepens, perpetuating this vicious cycle.
Unmasked Mental Health articulates that feigning mental health issues as an excuse, “Trivialising mental health conditions by using them as a scapegoat for poor behavior undermines their seriousness. Mental health disorders are severe and life-impacting conditions, and treating them lightly is both disrespectful and harmful to those genuinely struggling.”
Using mental health as an excuse creates a false image of what mental health looks like and starts the stereotype that people with mental health struggle with bad behavior. Moreover, this fakery also invalidates the pain that people truly suffering face, leaving them to feel like their pain is unreal and not heard.
Feigning mental health is effective and easy, as no one can technically prove a lie and no one can deny the need for mental health recovery. However, it becomes necessary for us to recognize the importance of taking accountability for our own actions not just for other people, but for our own self-growth.
