Personal Statement: Stigma Against Mental Health

The disparity in treatment has been attempted to be remedied over the eras. Bills and Acts put into place in the 20th and 21st centuries have seeked to improve care and reduce stigma around those with mental illness. This began in 1942, when Harry Truman signed the National Mental Health Act, which requested the formation of a National Institute of Mental Health. Shortly after this, in 1949, the National Institute of Mental Health was established (“National Institute of Mental Health”). During the company’s 60 year lifespan they have focused on research about mental illness, educating the public, and improving the lives of the mentally ill by working to pass laws. One law that seeks to reduce the stigma of mental illness is the Mental Healths Service Act of California. "California 's Historic Effort To Reduce The Stigma Of Mental Illness: The Mental Health Services Act" from the American Journal Of Public Health illustrates how the Act will make improvements. Families and individuals who have experienced stigma had a big role in the process, specifically with developing a 10 year plan, the California Strategic Plan on Reducing Mental Health Stigma and Discrimination. One component of the Act discussed is the work plan developed by California Mental Health Services Authority, which has three components: stigma and discrimination reduction, student mental health, and suicide prevention. Organizations such as the NIMH have made efforts resulting in the evolution of mental

7. Lt Col Chris Karns, "Eliminating Stigma: A Leadership Responsibility," U.S. Air Force, 02 September 2014,

One of the biggest contributors for poor healthcare is the stigma against mental health. This stigma allows healthcare providers to view those with a mental illness as having low relevance, thus creating disinclination towards providing adequate resources and/or care. This negative stance, based on misinformation and prejudice creates those that have a mental illness to lose their self confidence. Because of this loss, people with mental illness decide not to contribute to their health or livelihood. In the past fifty years, many advances have been made in mental healthcare. However, with the attached stigma, many people choose to not seek out treatment.

“One in five young people in the United States suffer from a mental illness, that’s twenty percent of our population.” Mental illnesses are disorders that affect your mood, thinking, and behavior. The problem of mental illnesses among teenagers needs awareness because so many young people are affected by emotional disorders. If we allow ourselves to remain ignorant about this topic, we are hurting the youths in our community and creating stigmas; we are causing irreparable damage to the ones we are supposed to be looking after. Stigmas surrounding mental illness should neither be accepted nor prevail as they make life harder for the mentally ill. The points at issue of mental illness stigmatization contain unique dimensions: it takes away people’s

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

One of the most common problems that children face when dealing with mental illness is the concept of stigma. This can be either internal or external, and both can be equally harmful to a person’s well-being as well as their ability or willingness to receive help (Serani). Stigma is primarily a sociological concept because there are no physical manifestations of the phenomenon other than those that appear as a result of society’s views about mental illness. Stigma is not isolated within a community, but it is made up of “widespread and commonly held” beliefs (Davey). It is often common for someone to experience the weight of stigma due to the influence of their loved ones who may ignore their cries for help due to a lack of knowledge about

It is estimated that 43.5 million Americans, adults 18 or older, live with mental illness. This number represents 18.1% of all U.S. adults (National Institute of Mental Health, 2014). Stigma toward those who are seen as different have existed for as long as civilization itself, with the stigma for mental illness being one of the most prominent and long lasting that society has had to face throughout its ages (Arboleda-Florez & Stuart, 2012). Increased understanding and awareness for those individuals suffering from mental illness is necessary for us to overcome the impacts stigma has on our society.

During a mental health event the First Lady, Michelle Obama said, “At the root of this dilemma is the way we view mental health in this country. [...] Whether an illness affects your heart, your leg or your brain, it’s still an illness, and there should be no distinction.” This shows that mental illness stigma in society is based on mental illness being perceived more negatively than other physical illness when it should actually be seen as the same. Stigma around mental illness has had very immense adverse effects on the willingness of undiagnosed suffers to not seek treatment when they need it. As a result of this one in five people with a mental illness will not get the treatment they need which has the effect of high suicide rates among the untreated sufferers. In an effort to reduce stigma around mental illness, so that more undiagnosed sufferers seek treatment, schools should devote more time to increasing awareness of mental illness and its effects.

I will continue to advocate for my patients individually, but also look forward to serving as a mental health advocate at the community and public policy levels. The lack of access to psychiatric care and the persistent stigma surrounding mental health are troubling and can be detrimental to patient outcomes. One patient I recently cared for offers an example of how I have seen social stigma adversely influence individual outcomes. My patient and her teenage son with special needs were admitted for severe malnutrition as a direct result of her severe agoraphobia after a concerned neighbor called police. Despite noting worsening delusions and debilitating paranoia for over one year, close family members were reluctant to seek psychiatric care due to concerns that the patient would lose custody of her son after being labeled with a psychiatric condition. My patient refused to accept her diagnosis of schizophrenia and, despite improvement with antipsychotics, stated she did not plan to engage in continued outpatient care. Although there were many legal and social factors complicating her situation, I believe mental health stigma was a significant factor in this patient’s delayed presentation and will likely continue to interfere with her treatment. My developing insight into the societal and public policy factors related to the practice of psychiatry has inspired me to become a leader in addressing these issues during my

“I want to be able to talk to someone in a pub and say ‘I have been mentally ill’ and for them to say ‘That’s interesting, what did you experience?’”, said a survivor from the UK in 1997 (Sayce 18). Almost twenty years later and this man 's wish still has not come true. People may ask why, and the answer is because of the stigma that comes along with having a mental illness. Mental illness is something not often talked about because of the fear of being judged. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one in every four Americans has a mental illness, and only about 40% of them seek professional help (Hamid). People are being put into mental institutions instead of getting the help that they need to get better, because even people in the medical field are not understanding about this situation because they do not understand how it feels. The stigma and stereotypes towards mental illnesses are overwhelming, therefore people should be made aware of their impact and take steps to reduce stigma and stereotypes.

Stigma, Discrimination and Ill-treatment Experienced by People with Mental Health Problems in the Employment Environment People with mental health problems such as depression, anxiety or other psychological disorders are widely perceived to be of less productive worth (Fevre, Robinson, Lewis & Jones, 2013), a contribution to the stigma and discrimination of mental health, both internally and externally. A large number of individuals with a range of mental health problems feel discriminated against in their workplace, and there is evidence that some even stop themselves from looking for work because they anticipate discrimination (Brohan & Thornicroft, 2010). There is a sharp stigma associated with mental health and this is both a direct

Mental health can be one of the hardest subjects to talk about because of the stigmatization that surrounds it. Those suffering from a mental health disorder tend to struggle to reach out for the help they need, because they are too afraid of how others might perceive them. Those suffering with mental illnesses shouldn’t be afraid to reach out for help, but because of the stigma on mental illnesses, people do not reach out for proper care that they need. As a society, the stigma against mental health must be stopped.

Stigma can be expressed in various term, it can be a brand, labelling or identification. It is a differentiation of a person resulting to a boundary between “us” and “them” (Link and Phelan 2001). These affect consumers in a way they are discriminated and treated differently because they have mental illness. The effect of stigma can take away the rights of consumers who are suffering from mental illness causing social dilemmas (SANE Australia 2013). A survey shows 74% of consumers experience stigma from school, work, and social activities. Consumers had only one feedback, to reduce stigma so they can go with their life peacefully and engage in normal social activities without discrimination (SANE Australia 2006). It is

There is a stigma in our country regarding mental health and its treatment. These stigma are divided between social stigma and perceived or self-stigma. Social stigma are those that society places negative feelings towards a certain group, which can lead to discrimination. Perceived or self-stigma are those internalized feelings of the mentally ill individual on how they feel society views them. Both types of stigma can lead to negative feelings of the mentally ill individual through feelings of shame, depression, hopelessness, and anxiety. Current policies on mental health are limited by federal legislation and may only address the aspect of public discrimination.

Many people often have stereotypes or stigmas regarding mental illnesses. There is a general public stigma that is overall expressed by people who may not have full knowledge over the importance of mental health. When referring to the stigma, people will usually say that those with mental illnesses are irresponsible, should be cared for, or should be feared and kept out of the direct community. All of these stigmas having to do with mental illnesses are false. Many people with mental illnesses are able to hold stable jobs, graduate from high school and college, and even live as good neighbors in a community. By creating this stigma, people are adding to the everyday challenges that people with mental illnesses are going through. We should aim to educate and stop the prejudice that is brought about by those who are not fully aware of the importance of mental health.