Literature Review On Mental Illness Stigmatization

Journal Article Review

Mental illness stigmatization has a crucial impact on the wellbeing of individual with mental illness by creating self stigma, preventing them from reaching their goal and inhibiting use of available services due to fear of labels. Due to these associated obstacles, stigma requires attention and reframing. This brings up the question as to if mental illness stigmatization is a problem based in public health policies or a social injustice. Corrigan, Watson, Byrne, and Davis (2005) argue that viewing mental illness from a public health perspective alone, while may provide some benefits, also produces negative byproducts, and a social justice perspective may be more apt as changing stigma.

The National Alliance on Mental

One way they do this is through support groups like Family-to-Family were there is an instructional aspect of teaching family members to understand mental illness and ways of helping and living with a family member with mental illness. Courses such as this, according to Corrigan et al (2005) are shown to lead to improved attitudes about mental illness and the people living with it, particularly reducing blame of individuals with mental illness. A concern is raised as Corrigan et al (2005) alludes to research that states that this may also lead to increased pessimism about recovery from mental illness and a fear of people that may be viewed as dangerous, predictable or antisocial. However, Family Support Groups at the National Alliance on Mental Illness focus of increasing self-determination and confidence to combat the pessimism and develop management plans to deal with mental illness on a day to day bases and move towards

The National Alliance on Mental Illness integrates both perspectives by educating others on mental illness as a health issue, as well as advocating for policy