Jonah Hill is the latest celebrity to open up about prioritizing his mental health

Jonah Hill is the latest celebrity to open up about prioritizing his mental health

Jonah Hill opens up about his mental health. In a letter published in Deadline, the actor said he will not appear publicly to promote his latest film, a documentary about him and his therapist named Stutz, or upcoming films to work on his anxiety.

“Through this journey of self-discovery within the film, I have come to understand that I have spent nearly 20 years experiencing anxiety attacks, exacerbated by media appearances and public events,” he wrote.

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While most people experience occasional anxiety, those with anxiety disorders struggle with "intense, excessive, and persistent worry and anxiety in everyday situations," according to the Mayo Clinic. Panic attacks specifically involve "repeated episodes of sudden feelings of intense fear and anxiety or terror that reach a peak within minutes," reports the Mayo Clinic. (See: Signs of a Panic Attack Everyone Should Know)

Hill made his latest film to bring the tools he learned in therapy to a wider audience, he explained in his recent letter. "I'm so grateful that the film will have its world premiere at a prestigious film festival this fall, and I can't wait to share it with audiences around the world in the hope that it will help those affected," he wrote. "However, you will not see me out there promoting this film or any of my upcoming films while I take this important step to protect myself or the film."

The Superbad actor also acknowledged his privilege in being able to take time off from work to prioritize his mental health, as not everyone is able to do that. It's no secret that therapy is often expensive and is not always covered by health insurance companies. Additionally, a study published in 2021 found that affordability is the most common barrier to healthcare for people with mental health issues.

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When you take finances out of the equation, there are still many barriers to mental health care, especially for men. For example, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, men are less likely to seek psychiatric treatment than women (about 13 percent compared to 25 percent). Additionally, research shows that societal pressure is placed on men not to be labeled as emotional or sensitive, and a systematic review published in 2019 found that this pressure to be seen as strong may be linked to why men are less likely to seek mental health care.

However, the tide may shift. Hill isn't the only celebrity to speak openly about his mental health. Just last week, Tom Holland shared on Instagram that he was taking a break from social media due to his mental health. “I find Instagram and Twitter overstimulating, overwhelming,” he said in a video posted to Instagram. He took the opportunity to share information about Stem4, a charity supporting teen mental health. “Let’s talk about mental health,” he added in the caption of his post.

Earlier this summer, Shawn Mendes canceled his "Wonder" tour to focus on his mental health and shared a message with his Instagram followers. “I started this tour excited to finally play live again after a long break due to the pandemic, but the reality is that I was completely not prepared for how difficult touring would be after this time,” he wrote. “After speaking more with my team and working with an incredible group of healthcare professionals, it has become clearer to me that I need to take the time that I personally never took to ground myself and come back stronger.”

This comes after Harry Styles discussed therapy in his May 2022 cover story for Better Homes & Gardens. “I figured it [going to therapy] meant you were broken,” he told the magazine. “I wanted to be the one to say I didn’t need it.”

The way these men have used their massive platforms to address the still-often-stigmatized topic of mental health recently is incredibly refreshing (though this is certainly not an exhaustive list of famous men who have opened up about the topic). Hopefully it will inspire more people to talk honestly about their emotional needs and seek mental health treatment. (Read more: Why everyone should try therapy at least once)