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Mental health stigma and labelling
What is the impact of labeling an individual with a mental illness
Mental health stigma and labelling
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Doctors and psychiatrists are too willing to place someone on medications for a quick fix. We are an overmedicated society looking for an easy answer for a solution to our problems. Research suggests that one in five Americans are diagnosed with a mental health disorder. I firmly believe that there is a mental health crisis in the United States and many people go undiagnosed. Mental health, does in my opinion, has stigmas attached to it.
The lack of acceptance towards mental illnesses being considered actual illnesses has left many people with a fractured truth about mental illnesses as a whole. Although society is getting better at dealing with mental illnesses, there is still the perception that mental illnesses do not need to be treated because they are not visible wounds, which is completely untrue. Both John and Kathy think like this. "... Kathy did not insist that he see a psychiatrist ad that John did not feel the need to seek help." (O'Brien 75)
The key limitations of the psychiatric classification system are the system does not explain the causes of mental ill health, it can categorise into incorrect boxes, it does not include ‘atypical’ systems,
In general negative descriptions are credited to those who suffer mental illness. Cultural identity (Tata & Leong, 1994), cultural mistrust (Nickerson,Helms,&Terrell,1994),and cultural commitment (Price & McNeill, 1992) have been linked with factors such as attitudes toward seeking help, tolerance for the stigma associated with seeking help, and being open to talking about problems with a
When people hear the words, “mental illness,” they think of insane asylums and psychiatric wards, but that’s not necessarily the case. Yes, back in the 1800’s they did have asylums for people with mental disorders. But that was when doctors didn’t fully understand mental illnesses and disorders. But currently, doctors are able to comprehend illnesses and disorders.
Stigma of Mental Illness The stigma of mental illness has a staggering presence in American society. Stigma is “... a socio-cultural process by which members of marginalized groups are labeled by other people as abnormal, shameful, or otherwise undesirable” (Michaels, Lopez, & Corrigan, 2012). A 2013 nationwide survey revealed that 46% of Americans believed that the seriously mentally ill were more likely to be dangerous than members of the the general public (McGinty, Webster, & Barry, 2014). These negative attitudes are also held by mental health professionals, which most likely results from them “...working with patients when they are in the most disturbed phase of their illness, despite this not being a typical characteristic of everyday mental illness” (Cleary, Deacon, Jackson, Andrew, & Chan, 2012).
Just 38 percent of youth with a mood disorder such as depression or bipolar disorder receive treatment services. Many students’ mental health problems continue to go unidentified and untreated,” (Gold). In summary, schools are not identifying the students who need help and those who do need help rarely seek it. Identifying students with mental health illnesses is a step for schools to prevent school shootings and creating a safer community. Schools would also be less likely to be shot down if they cracked down on bullying and assisted victims of bullying.
Labeling a person by his or her disorder is very harmful because the individual can take it really personal. A person with a disorder that is constantly labeled could end up making him or her feel isolated from others. Also, the person may end feeling abnormal or not the same as an average human due to being constantly reminded about the specific disorder. Therefore, rather than thinking negative about a person with a disorder people should try to find something positive instead. According to Berardinelli, “When she follows the White Rabbit down the rabbit hole and into Wonderland, it is as much to escape from reality of her current situation as it to visit a new world” (1).
(NAMI). If people with a mental illness receive counseling and/or treatment for their illness many arrests and crimes could be
Stigmatization of mental illness existed well before psychiatry became a formal discipline, but was not formally labeled and defined as a societal problem until the publication of Goffman’s book (1963). Mental illnesses are among the most stigmatizing conditions, regardless of the specific psychiatric diagnosis. Unlike other illnesses, mental illness is still considered by some to be a sign of weakness, as well as a source of shame and disgrace. Many psychiatric patients are concerned about how people will view them if knowledge of their condition becomes public Mental health stigma can be divided into two distinct types: • social stigma is characterized by prejudicial attitudes and discriminating behavior directed towards individuals with mental health problems as a result of the psychiatric label they have been given and has those types stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination Stereotypes are based on knowledge available to members of a group and provide a way to categorize information about other groups in society Prejudiced persons agree with these negative stereotypes, and these attitudes lead to discrimination through negative behaviors toward mentally ill individuals those negative perceptions create fear of and social distance from mentally ill persons. • perceived stigma or
We should be open about mental health, so that people are able to speak up and get help, but not to the point that mental illnesses are normalized, romanticized, and trivialized. So, stop glorifying them. Stop acting like it’s a choice. Stop acting like they are entertainment. Stop using them as an adjective.
Patients with mental health illnesses are many times defined because of their diagnosis and that is
People could be aware of their problems and rationalize what is going on with their bodies instead of resulting to destructive behavior, such as cutting, picking skin, or even suicide, that would harm themselves or others. Public awareness of mental health can increase chance of mental health care being provided for free to many. Sadly, many cannot access service they need due to social or economic problems they face. If mental health care was free, we wouldn’t have this issue. Many would be more aware of mental health if it is provided for free.
Why do the people of today still associate stigma, shame and blame with mental health issues? Mental health issues are extremely and widely misunderstood. Despite the fact one in four people are likely to experience some kind of mental health problem a year in the United Kingdom. “Mental health is a person’s condition with regard to their psychological and emotional well-being and it affects how we feel, think and act. It also helps to determine how we handle situations such as stress, how we relate to others and how we make decisions.
Mental illnesses do not just affect a minority; they affect the people who have them and their friends. Likewise, the
