Issues Surrounding Mental Illness In The United States

The social problem I have chosen to write about is mental illness. This problem is important to talk about “because of the number of people it affects, the difficulty of defining and identifying mental disorders, and the ways in which mental illness is treated” (Kendall, 2013, p. 227). “About 57.7 million people, or one in four adults, in the United States suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder” (Kendall, 2013, p. 229). “Many of these illnesses begin in childhood or adolescence, with the most common problems being anxiety disorder, mood disorders, impulse-control disorders, and substance abuse disorders” (Kendall, 2013, p. 229). I chose this topic because I wanted to learn more about how mental illness is a social problem and I have been interested in learning more about mental illnesses and how to help people with mental disorders.

According to NAMI, The National Alliance of Mental Illness 1 in 5 adults experience a mental health condition yearly. 1 in 20 people live with a serious mental illness like, schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Not only does the person who is directly experiencing a mental illness suffer, but the family, and friends are also highly affected. NAMI states that 50% of mental health conditions begin by age 14 and 75% of mental illnesses develop by age 24. Each year, 1 in 5 children from the ages 13-18 experiences a mental illness reported by NAMI. That’s a large amount of our young generation. Three out of four people with a mental illness report that they have experienced stigma, a mark of disgrace that sets a person apart according to the

With greater education comes greater understanding. The public—and high school students, in particular, as many mental illnesses manifest around puberty—should be educated, because most stigma is caused by misinformation. People around the community can also make an effort to eliminate the stigma against bipolar disorder by refusing to discriminate against those with mental illness, getting to know those that are personally affected by mental illness, offering support—but not pity—to those that are suffering, refusing to label or judge based on false beliefs, sharing how they have been affected by mental illness, and, possibly most importantly, standing up and speaking out when they hear their peers display negative attitudes and false beliefs about mental illnesses (Mental Health Commission of Western Australia). If an effort is made to educate the public about mental illness, the stigma against mental illness and all the harm that comes with it can be

So how do we eliminate the stigma on mental illness that has been shaped and formed fo1r centuries? Now that we know the role mental health plays in our society and how it affects people who suffer from it. We must find a way to reduce the stigma and discrimination associated with this term. I propose the first step to solving this issue is through the media education and information. The media, from new to movies, plays a crucial role in shaping the minds of young people and even adults. Media has probably been one the most influential tools is creating the stigma and so maybe we can use the same tools to undo the stigmatization. The media often displays mental illness unfavorably because the news always broadcasts violent individual with an extreme case of the disorder as a representation of every one in the mentally ill community. Even in movies and crime TV shows, the person will the mental illness is cast as an antagonist a few example of this are Batman and possibly every single episode in the show Criminal Minds. This portrays with mental illness in an incriminating fashion, but studies show that majority of the patient are more harmful to themselves than they are to others. Using the media to campaign and voice the truth about the mentally ill will help a little to de-stigmatize these individuals. Educating the public is only one step to a solution, just raising awareness will not completely stop the stigma (Byrne). Since some people with the most knowledge on mental

This journal was written by Dr. Peter Byrne, a consultant liaison psychiatrist and an associate registrar for public mental health. Throughout his journal, Byrne speaks about the stigma of mental illness and ways to reduce the stigma. He starts off by defining stigma and the process of it. Towards the end of the journal, he expresses how everyone needs to get involved to be able to make a change to this issue. To be able to address the stigma one needs to know how to identify it. Byrne believes that by changing the way people view mental illness with the help of health professionals, interventions, and management by transforming the mentally ill person from patient to advocate, can be beneficial in reducing the stigma. The information provided

The mentally ill face a multitude of challenges. One of those challenges is the stigmatization they face. Stigmatization is social rejection; those stigmatized are rejected by people because of the label they carry or that their behaviors clearly indicate that they belong to a certain labeled group. Stigmatization of the mentally ill is caused by the public’s belief in myths about the dangerousness of the mentally ill and exposing those myths can reduce stigmatization.

The world as we know it is a vast melting pot of various illnesses, diseases and disorders that people in society suffer from daily. Although diseases, mental disorders and other existing health problems are heavily prevalent within our society, they are all still subject to unhealthy views from those who do not understand the underlying issues. Mental illness, are two words that cause people to instantly cast judgment and turn away from those displaying the behavior. Mental illness has a long withstanding stigma and discrimination that can cause those who are suffering from whichever problem make their difficulties worse and make it harder to recover than it would be for someone with a physical health issue. If mental illnesses

Prior to beginning of my college career I helped co-found an organization, MYLIFE, which helped encourage youth to reach their potential. By speaking to local communities and schools I served as an advocate for youth who believed they had no voice or recognition in their communities. The small group of community leaders that joined together at that time to start the organization—subsidized by Magellan Behavioral Health in Arizona— shared the passion to educate local public schools and communities in disadvantaged urban areas about the stigma attached to mental illness. This allowed parents and students to become aware of the complexities of mental health and a reduction of

It has been found that mental disorders affect one-quarter of people worldwide at some point in their lives (World Health Organization, 2001). Even so, mental health is still the most likely health issue to be linked to misunderstanding and fear (Crisp et al. 2000). The way mental health is portrayed in the media can reinforce the negative stigma towards it, although it also does have the ability to change public perceptions (Mental Health Foundation, 2017). Some theorists believe there is no such thing as mental illness and the ideology of mental health is purely socially constructed. The concepts of labelling and stigma will be explained and discussed as to how they support this idea. This report will attempt to establish why mental illness

Individuals of all ages need to be educated about the reality of mental illness, and these individuals range from young children to older adults, public schools to private organizations, the mentally ill to mental health professionals, and more. Studies have suggested that education can help reduce the stigma and improve attitudes towards mental illness (Corrigan at al. 363-4). Many organizations such as the National Mental Health Institution, National Alliance on Mental Illness, and Mental Health Association have delved into exploring education as an option and have reported positive results. Education can come in many forms such as campaigns, speeches from key note speakers, and even trainings from professionals. However, most of these campaigns and speeches are aimed at the older population, which I feel is the reason for the slow progress made by education. In his book, Being Mentally Ill: A Sociological Theory, Thomas J. Scheff propositioned that stigmatizing stereotypes of mental illness are often learned in one’s childhood, and these stereotypes are reaffirmed by society – especially the media – as one grows and develops (75-7). Therefore, organizations need to direct these campaigns to the younger population, and education about mental illness should be compulsory in public

A component of this campaign should be developed to include a school-based initiative. This initiative should include interventions for children, adolescents, and teachers. One researcher on this topic stated that anti-stigma interventions at a school-based level can help reduce social exclusion and ridicule that children with a mental illness frequently experience. It can also help enhance other school children become more empathic, tolerant, and understanding towards people with a mental disorder (Moses, T., 2010). Along with learning more about mental health, children and adolescents can learn important mental health habits. These include, “coping techniques, resilience and good judgment, to help achieve overall wellbeing and set the stage for positive mental health in adulthood” (Office of Adolescent Health, 2010).

There are various stigmas associated with mental illnesses, many of which, are both incorrect, and uninformed. There will be several articles discussed in this paper. All of the articles mentioned here with deal with such mental illness stigmas, such as stigmas that affect the current generation, how the mentally ill are discriminated against in everyday life, and how one’s culture affects how he or she views mental illnesses. Discussed here will also be said article’s findings, such as the results of its experiment, and what measurements were used. These articles agree that stigmas are every where, regardless of culture, age, or social standing, but that the intensity and importance of those stigmas do vary.

“One in five adults in America experience mental illness,” (Mental Health, n.d., para 1). Many people define mental illness as a characteristic that makes one irrational or delusional and derives a belief that those who have mental disorders are not suffering from a real disease, resulting in a negative view of those who suffer. There are three ways to defy this stigma that everyone, from media producers to the sufferers themselves, must participate in to break down the shame and dishonor surrounding mental illness. Mental illness is a real disease and causes a stigma that those who suffer are dangerous and are the cause of their disorder

The topic of mental health is extremely important, yet it is rarely discussed by the media, in school, or in homes. Because of this, those with mental disorders are often regarded as strange, unable to function as a normal member of society, or even as violent and dangerous, none of which are necessarily true. This stigma leads to some people with mental illnesses feeling ashamed or embarrassed of their condition, and can possibly inhibit them from reaching out for support. An easy way to erase this toxic stigma is to discuss mental health more often. If mental illnesses and overall mental health were discussed more regularly, negative stigma associated with people who are mentally ill would be eliminated, the general public would gain a better

Mental health problems represent an increasing part of the worldwide disease burden (Reijneveld, 2005). There is a stigma attached to children, race/culture, as well as gender differences. It is important that we as the public become properly informed on the effects that these stigmas can have on the mental health of these populations. A study by Pescosolido (2007), suggests that the stigma attached to child and adolescent mental health problems is complex; the public associates mental illness, specifically depression with a possibility of engaging in violent behavior. The ramifications of this type of stigma can continue into adulthood making the desire to seek help less likely. Fear and lack of information are also contributing factors to this cycle. Efforts in educating the public will take time, however, will bring awareness to improving these circumstances.