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Mental Health Stigma Research Paper

1383 Words6 Pages

Mental illness, along with the stigma surrounding it, has been around since the dawn of civilization. In ancient empires, having a mental illness was seen as either a personal problem or a religious problem. In the middle ages, having a mental illness meant you were possessed. This negative attitude towards mental disorders persisted into the United States and has lasted for decades. But what does that mean for people suffering from mental disorders? People suffering from mental disorders often don’t get the help they need, especially children and youth. Adults and guardians may see mental illness in children and youth as “just a phase” or “an imbalance of hormones” but more often than not, that’s not the case. Mental illness in children …show more content…

Technically, mental illness is caused by a change in chemistry in the brain, but it can be affected by many different things. Stigma is one of the more damaging things to mental illness. The stigma around mental illness has been around for years and years, so much so that it it’s common. Because of this stigma, however, mental illness and treatments of mental illness have been widely ignored and dismissed. Stigma within itself can be damaging to anyone. It can cloud truth with myths and paint a whole different picture that what’s actually true. This applies to people suffering from mental illness. The effects of stigma can cause many consequences, such as keeping people suffering from seeking treatment, causing shame and embarrassment, and lack of understanding from friends, family and and even co-workers. The negative attitude towards mental illness often sparks bullying and harassment, as well as self-doubt and and a destructive sense of self-judgment. An example of a damaging believe caused by stigma is that people with mental illnesses are violent or dangerous. Stigma causes many people to believe …show more content…

However, despite some people’s beliefs, mental illness can be treated and there are many ways to do it. One way is through the educational system. Children and youth spend most of their time at school, it would make sense to have programs to help those suffering from mental illnesses. When programs are installed within school systems, it helps promote health, both mentally and physically. Without it, though, the likelihood that youth suffering from mental health issues drop out of high school raises. Already, “50% of youth with mental disabilities 14 and older drop out of high school” and “youth with emotional and behavioral disorders have the worst graduation rate” (Problems). However, programs installed within the educational system have proven to be very successful because it gives youth a place to seek help. Of course, administration and teachers also play a big role in helping youth deal with and cope with mental illness. If a teacher doesn’t know how to handle a student’s mental disability, it an lead to discrimination, which is why both teachers and administration should be educated on the basics of dealing with children and youth with mental disabilities. This means accommodating for the students in order to make sure they’re learning and making sure they’re comfortable in the school environment. Mental health treatments within the

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