When People Struggle with Their Mental Health, It’s Often Because of Systemic Issues

Talking about mental health is usually focused on the individual, their coping skills, therapy, or medication. But what if the real problem isn’t just about the person, but about the systems around them?

As a neurodiversity coach and pre-assessor, I’ve seen a concerning pattern through both my work and personal experience: people who are struggling are often reacting to systems that don’t support their needs. Whether it’s in education, healthcare, or the workplace, too many structures are designed for what’s considered “typical.” That makes it much harder for neurodiverse people, including those with autism or ADHD, to thrive.

The System Wasn’t Built for Everyone

It’s not that the system is broken; it simply wasn’t built to include everyone especially those are neurodiverse. For neurodiverse individuals, everyday environments can feel overwhelming, the noise, pressure, deadlines, and rigid expectations take a toll.

When needs aren’t recognised, anxiety, burnout, and depression are predictable outcomes. Yet instead of asking why someone is struggling, society too often labels them as the problem.

Many mental health issues, like anxiety, depression, rejection sensitivity or chronic stress, are actually understandable reactions to feeling excluded or constantly pressured to fit in. These feelings aren’t signs of weakness. They’re natural responses to an environment that’s not inclusive.

Mental Health Professionals Are Also Limited by the System

Most psychologists, psychiatrists, and social workers genuinely want to help. But they’re often working within underfunded systems, long waiting lists, and rigid medical frameworks. The dominant medical model of mental health focuses on fixing the person, rather than questioning the system that might be making them unwell.

As philosopher Michel Foucault reminded us, “knowledge is power.” The systems that define what’s “normal” also decide whose voices matter. For autistic and ADHD individuals, this can mean being pathologised, treated as a problem to fix, instead of being understood as someone with a different way of experiencing the world.

Building a More Compassionate and Inclusive Society

If we truly want to improve mental health and wellbeing, we must look beyond individuals and start addressing systemic causes of distress. That means:

• Rethinking education, so children aren’t punished for learning differently.

• Redesigning workplaces, to value creativity, focus, and honesty over conformity.

• Improving mental health services, so professionals have time to listen, not just diagnose.

Real healing begins when people feel safe, accepted, and understood, not when they’re forced to fit into a system that was never made for them.

Final Thoughts: Mental Health Is a Systemic Issue

Mental health struggles don’t exist in isolation. They reflect what our society values, and how much pressure it places on people to conform.

Until we design systems that embrace neurodiversity and difference, we’ll continue to mislabel distress as disorder. But in truth, these are not signs of brokenness, they’re signals that the system itself needs to change.