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Mental Health Stigma Essay

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In accordance with the beliefs of scholarly experts in the field, the strong prevalence of stigmas linked to psychological disorders within society cannot be denied. A stigma, in this case, “can best be understood as the loss of status by, or discrimination of, a person because of an attribute that others evaluate disapprovingly” (Saldivia et al., 2104). Individuals who suffer from a mental illness are deeply affected by the judgment of others, often influencing sufferers to avoid seeking treatment in order to avoid public shame and humiliation (Masuda, Price, Anderson, Schmertz & Calamaras, 2009). Some of the most recognized psychological disorders stigmatized within the general population, and even some healthcare circles, include the following: …show more content…

This rise in stigmatization has ultimately been attributed to “a lower acceptance by a growing middle class of ill-adapted conduct (particularly in big cities), the difficulties the mentally ill have in finding employment, and the negative image transmitted by the media,” along with the globalization of customs that has made it exceedingly difficult for “those who are labeled different” (Guimón, 2010). Hence, due to the negative stigmas of unpredictability and dangerousness, mental illness sufferers are significantly overrepresented among the unemployed and “marginalized persons in the community,” a reality chiefly exhibited by Western societies (Guimón, 2010). As a result of this societal alienation, psychological disorder sufferers are forced to endure a lower quality of life and experience increased emotional distress (Guimón, 2010). A closer examination of the most common psychological disorders and their corresponding stigmas reveals further insight on how illness sufferers are

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All mental illnesses all come with a certain stigma; A stigma that labels every person that is suffering as ‘retarded’ or ‘damaged’. The uneducated population often mistake a stigma for a stereotype, however, a stereotype has nothing to do with degrading the quality of a person, but rather judgements based off of physical features. Stigma literally means, “a mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality, or person,” stigmas in today 's society are becoming more prevalent as more issues arise. This theme of stigmatized mental illness is highly prevalent in the autobiography, Girl Interrupted, by Susanna Kaysen, the politics of today and in normal family life.

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Throughout recent years, mental illness has become a belittled and “taboo” topic in a multitude of different societies. As a result, a majority of the world’s population isn’t exactly clear as to how one should approach those suffering from mental instability. Unlike physical illness, where an entire system of doctors and hospitals and medical research developed in order to cater to those who were physically ill, mental illnesses do not get nearly as much attention. Some would argue that a physical illness proves to be significantly more detrimental to one’s day to day life. However, observation of mentally ill individuals proves that mental illness can be as equally debilitating (you probably know someone in your life who has died from the

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In the book Girl, Interrupted, by Susanna Kaysen, one of the biggest focal points is mental illness. Mental illness can be tough to talk about, simply because the phrase “mental illness” encompasses such a wide range of conditions and conjures up images of deranged people, but it is very important, especially in this book. There is a certain stigma that people who are put into mental hospitals because they have medical problems or are insane and a possible danger to society. While this is sometimes true, it is far more common for patients to need help for a disorder, but just don’t know where to go or what to do, and can end up putting themselves or someone else in danger.

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Stigma can prevent individuals from seeking help and can lead to feelings of shame and isolation. This can worsen mental health outcomes and prevent individuals from receiving the care they need. Solutions: Addressing Historical

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Mental health is a state of psychological well-being. According to World Health Organization (WHO) mental health includes "subjective well-being, perceived self-efficacy, autonomy, competence, intergenerational dependence, and self-actualization of one's intellectual and emotional potential, among others." (Organization, WHO 2001) However, cultural differences, race, ethnicity, personal background, subjective assessment, and socioeconomic status all affect how mental health is defined. This variation in definitions of mental health between different sects of our society further causes drift in methods of treatment, and may cause the burden of mental health to be greater on some cultures.

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The Mental Health Act 2007 allows people with a mental disorder to be admitted to hospital, detained and treated without their consent – either for their own health and safety, or for the protection of other people (Mentalhealthcare.org.uk, 2015). Under this legislation a person can be admitted and given treatment against their wishes. Detainees are always told their rights so that they do not feel as though they are being punished; they also have the right to appeal. To be able to detain a person, they must be struggling to care for themselves and a risk to both themselves and others. Additionally, it must be the last resort because all other forms of treatment have been tried to no avail.

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The stigma that is attached with mental health can cause patients to feel hopeless, refuse to seek help, and experience low-levels of quality life (Livingston, Tugwell, Korf-Uzan, Cianfront & Coniglio 2012). Social media makes it more accessible to acquire knowledge towards issues that arise globally, but it can also create backlash and target specific individuals in a negative light. As stated prior, 70% of a sample expressed that portrays of individuals with mental illnesses often are offensive (Aguiniga et al. 2016). In addition, social media and films characterize people with mental health issues as “the other”, that furthers stigmatizes mental health and sets a tone of fear.

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The claims that people are making about how ‘cool’ and ‘fun’ it is to have a mental illness, can lower the self-esteem of people with a serious mental illness (Phelan par. 4). This can lead to an increase in depression and suicide rates among patients. The internet has also created a stigma contradicting the ‘fun’ and ‘cool’ mental illness with the taboo mental illnesses that it is not ‘socially acceptable’ to talk about. The taboo mental illnesses, which are seen as the ‘crazies’ would include Schizophrenia, Depression, and Dissociative Identity Disorder.

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