“How are you?” It’s a question we answer almost instinctively. Between meetings, over coffee, in a message exchanged with a friend, the response is often the same: “I’m fine.” Sometimes it’s true. Other times, it’s a carefully rehearsed answer designed to keep the conversation moving, avoid worrying someone else or conceal feelings we haven’t quite found the words for. For women in particular, the distance between how we feel and how we present ourselves can be difficult to acknowledge. We are encouraged to be ambitious yet accommodating, independent yet available, resilient yet endlessly giving. Somewhere between managing expectations and maintaining appearances, admitting that we’re not okay can feel like another thing we simply don’t have time to do.
That’s why Lancôme is launching its global “I’m Fine” initiative ahead of World Mental Health Day alongside new research which exposes the emotional cost of keeping up appearances — and why learning to speak honestly could change everything. The research, which was commissioned by Lancôme and conducted by Ipsos, puts this familiar contradiction into perspective. Eighty per cent of women surveyed say they have said “I’m fine” when they weren’t, while 72 percent regret hiding how they truly felt. More than 60 percent also find it difficult to speak openly about their mental well-being, a greater barrier than those reported around fertility and menopause. The findings raise a question that feels increasingly difficult to ignore: if so many women are struggling to be honest about how they feel, what would it take to make those conversations easier?
For Dr Helen Blair Simpson, Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Director of the Center for OCD and Related Disorders, and ADAA Ambassador for Women’s Mental Health, the reasons are complex. A lack of awareness around the symptoms of anxiety and depression, stigma surrounding mental illness and barriers to accessing help can all make it harder to speak up. The result, she explains, is “suffering in silence”. “Multiple reasons, including lack of knowledge and awareness about the symptoms of anxiety and depression, widespread stigma about mental illness, and barriers to getting help,” Dr. Simpson says. “Yet social support is very powerful, and there are good treatments for anxiety and depressive disorders: the consequence of keeping feelings hidden is suffering in silence.”
Women’s mental health is shaped by a combination of biological, social and cultural influences, and those factors can shift throughout life. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, around one in three women will experience an anxiety or depressive disorder, approximately twice the rate of men. Certain life stages may warrant particular attention, including the onset of menstruation, pregnancy, the postpartum period and menopause. But, as Dr Simpson emphasises, these experiences cannot be explained by hormones alone.
“Women should pay attention to their mental health throughout their lives because mental health is closely connected to physical health,” she explains. “Certain times of major change can increase the risk of mental health challenges, including the start of menstruation, pregnancy and the postpartum period, and menopause. These risks are not caused by hormones alone. Social pressures and major life changes can also affect mental health. For example, becoming a mother can bring new responsibilities, expectations, stress, and changes in relationships and daily life.”
Anxiety and sadness are part of being human. Feeling nervous before a significant event or grieving the loss of someone we love is not, in itself, a sign that something is wrong. These emotions have a place in our lives. The distinction, Dr Simpson explains, comes when symptoms become persistent or begin to interfere with everyday functioning. When anxiety becomes so intense that it affects our ability to function, or low mood persists alongside changes in sleep or appetite, it may be time to look outward. “When you find yourself so anxious that you are not functioning or are depressed day in and day out and not sleeping or under or overeating, these are signs of a possibly more serious mental health issues, and it is good to seek professional help.”
Ahead of World Mental Health Day on 10 October, Lancôme is officially launching “I’m Fine”, a global initiative developed with the Anxiety and Depression Association of America and local non-profit partners. Featuring Lancôme spokespeople including Demi Moore, Zoe Saldaña, Christy Turlington and Vanessa Kirby, the campaign aims to encourage more honest conversations about women’s mental health. Alongside the campaign, its dedicated platform, IMFINE.COM, will provide free, confidential self-assessment tools, expert-led resources and personal stories from women around the world. These include the GAD-7 anxiety questionnaire and PHQ-8 depression questionnaire, two clinically validated screening tools designed to help identify potential symptoms and encourage appropriate follow-up. They are not diagnostic tests, but can offer a starting point for understanding whether further support may be helpful.
For Dr Simpson, awareness is an important part of building the confidence to act. “Knowledge is power – if you start learning what causes you to become anxious or sad, you can also start developing tools that work for you to help you reduce your stress levels and recover your joy in life. As you develop your toolkit, you develop resilience over time to the many ups and downs of life. Also, if you know what is regular anxiety and sadness, you will be able to notice when your symptoms are no longer typical for you, and you can seek professional help much earlier, so you don’t experience a crisis.”
Discover more at IMFINE.COM.
