Stigma Of Depression In Society

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

This paper is an analysis of mental health and the stigma that is associated with mental illness. The reputation accompanying mental illness causes detrimental effects on those with a psychiatric disorder, such as discrimination, poor health outcomes and social suffering. This is partly due to a lack of public education on the matter, along with attributions of violence related to mental illness caused by news reports. A multi-faceted campaign to increase the public’s knowledge about mental health is critical to assuage the negative attachments affiliated with mental illness.

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

Many people believe that while mental illness exists in the world today, depression is not included and is rather just another form of long-term moodiness. Because of this perspective that societies share, depression has become a bigger problem than it needs to be.

society and stimulus” (Gilman) Where as in today’s society is more knowledgeable and is actively looking for solutions to the detection and assistance of getting needed help to the affected while eliminating isolation treatment of the woman experiencing the illness. Current society also does not shame a woman dealing with this illness is not a minority “Depression impairs approximately 7.5 million parents in the United States each year”.(Smith) Which is a huge part of the American population. Another reason of increased treatment is due to studies have shown “If untreated, depression can persist for years [10, 11]. Parental depression is associated with negative child health impacts extending into adulthood [9, 12]”.(Smith)

Madhouses, looney bins, insane asylums, monsters, witches, and lunatics. These are the terms that haunt both the mentally ill and the facilities that provide their treatment. The stigma of mental illness prevents persons in need of treatment from seeking help for their mental illnesses. The roots of the stigma of mental illness need to be dissected to reduce the discrimination, prejudice, and stereotyping of the mentally ill. There are things that can be done to prevent this stigma including changes in federal policy, public cooperation, and individual advocacy.

There are still many societies that view people with mental health problems as threatening or unstable. These attitudes often cause stigma and discrimination towards people with mental health problems. Many people who make these assumptions about people with mental health problems are often uneducated. Social workers today educate and help families that may may be struggling with this disease. Mental health disorders affect different people and are more prone to exist in areas where help can be found or is not affordable. Mental health disorders are often frowned upon by people because they do not understand it. Many people live throughout their lives not getting the help they need because of stigma on this topic. As a society Mental health diseases should be identified as problem that can be fixed and not be an identification for the person it is affecting.

The majority of people that have a severe mental illness are object to challenges in double measure. From one point of view, they wrestle with the symptoms and disablement that result from the illness. From another point, they are tested by the stereotypes and preconceived ideas that stem from the misunderstandings about mental illness. As a culmination of both, people with a mental illness are stripped of the chances that define a quality life such as a good job, safe housing, adequate health care, and a connection with a varied group of people. Although research has gone a long way to understand the affect of the disease, it only recently has begun to explain the stigma of mental illness (Corrigan). The lives of people who are living with a mental illness are many times drastically adjusted by the symptoms of the illness and everyone’s response to them. While symptoms can normally be diminished by a number of actions, the intrinsic stigma and prejudice that comes with mental illness may continue on for a lifetime and can manifest themselves in a number of understated and non-understated ways. Normally, when one thinks of a stigma, they think of disgrace that is associated with a particular event, circumstance, or occasion. People with a mental illness are most often branded as an effect of their behavior, appearance, therapy, their economic status, and also the negative depictions in the media of the mental illnesses. People with a mental illness often have a “stereotype

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.

Until recently, few health insurance plans provided coverage for mental health services to the same extent as physical health services, if they were covered at all. The reasons for the discrimination in health insurance vary, but mental illnesses historically have not been well understood by the public, and people have had a hard time understanding that mental illnesses are biologically based diseases that affect the mind and body just like any other disease that has solely physical manifestations. A stigma is said to occur when people view something in a negative way because of a distinguishing characteristic or trait that is thought to be, or is, a disadvantage. The stigma surrounding mental illness has led to direct and obvious discrimination and one of its results, and the focus of this paper, is the discrimination to the mentally ill and mentally infirm by not providing health insurance that adequately covers mental illness diagnosis and treatments. Despite the progress of mental health parity legislation, the passing of the ACA and the advances in mental health research that have revealed that mental illnesses are biologically based, a stigma still remains around individuals with mental illnesses, that has led to exemptions, road-blocking the goal of full parity. This paper demonstrateS that while advances in the availability of private insurance coverage for those with mental illnesses has improved, there are still loopholes that private insurance

People with mental disorders were considered as vulnerable in the society due to the limitations in their rights. Such a situation of individuals cause oppressions as a result of dominant discourse prejudice. The capabilities of people with mental health histories often underestimated by the community. The result of such discrimination is devastating for individuals with mental health concerns. The focus of mental health intervention has undergone changes since its introduction. The treatment services have become more respectful of the rights of the individuals as the institutionalized services became more community oriented services (Rodriguez del Barrio et al., 2014). If a person is diagnosed with a mental disorder, the society tends to ostracize the individual and stigma attached to such situations can be termed as sanism (Morrow & Weisser, 2012). Sanism contributes to an organized suppression and oppression of mental health consumers (Perlin, 1992, 2003; Poole et al., 2012 as cited in LeBlanc & Kinsella, 2016). An intersectionality analysis coupled with anti-oppressive approach can be used to unpack sanism and other multiple oppressions faced by the marginalized population (Mullaly, 2010).

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

The media shows individuals as homeless, crying, dirty, and unintelligent and then puts the label of mental illness to it. Due to this portrayal of mental illness, many American’s have a negative picture in their minds about individuals who have a mental illness. The negative stigma may be because they have not known anyone with mental illness. Individuals may remember a time when mental illness was thought of as the person going insane which is a scary thought for some people. The speaker we had in class painted a picture of her neighbor in a padded room naked with a bucket (Patty S. 2016). This scenario is what comes to the mind of many who think of mental illness. Lack of information and education is the usual culprit for those who believe that mental illness only means insanity and unbearable life conditions.

People suffering from mental illness and other problems are often the most discriminated, socially excluded, stigmatized, and vulnerable members of the society. They have to constantly struggle and face a double problem. Firstly, they have to struggle with the symptoms of the mental illness itself. They may face with problems such as illusions, delusions, hallucinations and other symptoms, which depend on a particular mental disorder. These symptoms do not allow the person to live a satisfactory life. They do not allow the person to work and independently achieve something in their life. And secondly, they are challenged by several stereotypes and prejudices, which gradually result in many misconceptions about mental illness known as “stigma”. Therefore, mental illness results not only in the difficulties arising from the symptoms of the disorder but also in the negative attitudes and beliefs that motivates the people to fear, reject, avoid and exclusion of people with mental illness. Some people with mental illness could lose self confidence, accept the prejudices and may also turn them against themselves. This is referred to as ‘self-stigma’, loosening the confidence of the person suffering with mental illness.

While women are twice as likely to suffer from depression, men are by no means immune to its ravages. More than 6 million men in the U.S. are affected by some form of depression. They are, however, more likely to go undiagnosed in their depression. Cultural expectations keep many men from admitting they have a problem. Men are supposed to be strong; depression is thought of as weakness. There is a stigma attached to depression that makes men feel weak and out of control in their own lives. It is an affront to their manhood, rather than a disease to be dealt with.