Internalized Stigma

The effects of self-stigma can lead to a lack of self esteem, lack of confidence, isolation and the increased likelihood of avoiding professional help for their illness. This then has an over all affect on quality of life and where one sees themselves fitting within society (Barney, Griffiths, Jorm & Christensen, 2005; Griffiths & Christensen, 2004; Newell & Gournay, 2000).

Self-pity and pessimistic attitudes remain a topic of discussion with a mentally ill patient, however the more valuable picture revolves around the stigma that the public holds towards those with a mental illness. Unrun Ozer, member of International Committee of National Journal Editors, acknowledges that, “Stigmatization is described as attributing someone in a way that would decrease the person’s reputation because the individual strays away from the general norms of the society” ( 225). Ozer clarifies that a stigma is an unfavorable viewpoint that society has on someone that is perceived as different. Those with a mental illness are susceptible to vulnerability because they are at a small disadvantage than the normal person. Negative connotations, such as adverse viewpoints and perplexing labels, affect the care and treatment process of those suffering because their compliance to treatment decreases. Society is too quick to judge and be ignorant if someone isn’t in perfect form, and Ozer reports, “ It has been reported that individuals with mental illnesses are seen by the society as dangerous, frightening, unstable, irresponsible, unpredictable, and having communication problems” (Ozer 225). Ozer declares that these labels are degrading to an individual with a mental illness, and cause feelings of introversion, decreased self-confidence, worthlessness, shame and despair. If we want happiness to be achievable for all, then criticizing individuals is a step in the wrong

Patrick W. Corrigan and Deepa Rao, “On the Self-Stigma of Mental Illness: Stages, Disclosure, and Strategies for Change,” Canadian Journal of Psychiatry/Revue canadienne de psychiatrie 57.8 (2012): 464–469, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3610943/.

While stigma may not necessarily be a cause of a person’s mental disorder, it can certainly contribute to the complication and perpetuation of their illness. The effect of stigma goes well beyond just the patient and provides a commentary on society’s overall level of intolerance of those who are considered different from the majority. By recognizing the level of stigma that exists, perhaps we can alter that behavior and gravitate towards a more productive attitude towards mental illness.

Within the past two decades there’s been a revival in efforts to reduce stigmatization attached to mental illnesses. It was concluded that if mental illnesses were perceived better as ‘real’ diseases by the public that stigma would go down greatly. Reports proposed the idea that better scientific understanding of mental illnesses by the general public could greatly reduce stigma. Stigma is intensely rooted in social and cultural norms it’s patterns devalue and dehumanize groups of individuals within society (in this case mentally ill people). Stigma constructs barriers for individuals, barriers that limit a person’s abilities to have equal opportunities for employment, safe housing, health care and social relationships.Efforts to reduce stigma in recent years have

Corrigan, P. J., Morris, S. B., Michaels, P. W., Rafacz, J. D., & Rüsch, N. (october 01, 2012). Challenging the Public Stigma of Mental Illness: A Meta-Analysis of Outcome Studies. Psychiatric Services, 63(10), 963-973. Retrieved October 15, 2017, from http://ps.psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/appi.ps.201100529

Individuals’ cultural values contribute to the how they view themselves and react to life circumstances. In the mental health field, negative self-stigma among clients occurs commonly and can lead to poor health. When suffering this affliction, patients internalize negative beliefs, which they apply to how they view themselves. As a result, nurses who encounter self-stigmatized patients might note depression, low self-esteem, poor quality of life and limited care plan participation.

It is believed that the majority American public hold the beliefs that the mentally ill are “unpredictable, irrational, dangerous, bizarre, incompetent, and unkempt”, and these stereotypes have only strengthened from the 1950s to the present. (Thoits, 2011) Despite educational campaigns, there is still a strong desire among the public to keep a social distance from the mentally ill in an attempt to avoid awkward social interactions. Studies have shown that there’s a direct correlation between discrimination and low self-esteem issues among mental patients. Low self-esteem is also linked to negative health effects. Not all patients who experienced social rejection report a low self-worth. It is stated that patients who experienced social rejection already demonstrated low self-worth and self-esteem issues. Some studies even find that stigmatized patients have a very high self-esteem. (Thoits, 2011) A study done by National Alliance for the Mentally Ill consumers, Wahl (1999) expressed that eighteen percent of the sample took the stigma as a form of empowerment. Another study done by Lysaker (2007) showed that patients with a high insight on their stigma were associated with lower depression, lower quality of life, and lower self-esteem. It was also found that these associations are stronger for patients with a high self-stigma than for those with a low self-stigma. Low

Nearly 9 out of 10 people with mental health problems expressed that stigma and discrimination has had a negative impact on their lives. Stigma is a mark of shame that separates a person from others, when someone is characterized by their mental illness, they are viewed as part of an often negatively stereotyped group. For those who suffer from mental illness life is already challenging, so having to cope with prejudice and stigma from those around them only worsens their condition and their day to day life harder. Stigmatisation of mental illness is caused by false stereotypes and creates many problems such as self stigmatisation, employability issues, misrepresentation in the media and a

(Body Paragraph: General Information on self-devaluation) Now that we are better able to comprehend self-stigma we can focus on the affects that impact patients’ lives negatively. It is imperative to note that the discrimination of schizophrenic persons gives birth to self-devaluation. With that said, schizophrenic persons who experience discrimination in his or her life will feel distant from society, similar to being an outcast or a black sheep. This may be the reason why self-stigma generates lower self-esteem and lower self-efficacy which drastically lowers quality of life. In addition, self-devaluation leads to a decreased readiness to change and an increased declination of treatment within the behavior of patients. By increasing our knowledge on the subject and increasing awareness we can combat internalized stigma.

Prejudice results in discrimination toward individuals based on their group membership, regardless of their personal characteristics. Like members of other stigmatized and marginalized groups, people with a mental illness often experience prejudice resulting in increased lower quality of life. (Koenig and Eagly, 2014). The article studied is titled Gendered Mental Disorders: Masculine and Feminine Stereotypes About Mental Disorders and Their Relation to Stigma by Guy Boysen, Ashley Erbersole, Robert Casner and Nykhala Coston was written for The Journal of Social Psychology and McKendree University. The research founded indicated that stereotypes could intersect, especially when it comes to mental disorders and gender. Three studies were conducted;

Stigma has been said to be “a feeling of being negatively differentiated owing to a particular condition, group membership or state in life”(Arboleda-Florez & Stuart, 2012, p. 458). There are typically two types of mental illness stigma that are discussed. Public stigma, also known as societal stigma, is the stigma associated with the prejudicial attitudes the public holds towards those people who suffer from mental illness (Arboleda-Florez & Stuart, 2012; Corrigan, Markowitz, Watson, Rowan & Kubiak, 2003). Self-stigma, also known as internalized stigma, is the loss of self-esteem, withdrawal, and personal shame that some with mental illness will experience. Self-stigma is usually developed when those who suffer from mental illness associate the negative stereotypes the public holds with themselves (Chronister, Chou, & Lieo, 2013; Corrigan et al., 2003).

Mental health and its stigma are an important issue plaguing today’s society. Many do not understand or acknowledge the severity of mental illness. The stigma against mental

It refers to the attitudes and beliefs of the public towards persons with mental health challenges. Self-stigma is when a person suffering from a mental illness believes the negative views about themselves which can result in suffering from low self-esteem and despair. Self-stigma causes a person to turn against themselves; by internalizing negative beliefs, an individual suffering from a mental illness experiences feelings that keep them from seeking social support, or treatment for their condition.

There are many stigmas, or misconceptions and misperceptions in our society which need to be shattered. I believe that one of the worse possible effects of stigma is that it causes those affected by psychological disorders, or mental illness, to crawl more deeply into themselves because it provokes a sense of shame. Stigma thrusts those suffering with mental illness into a sense of isolation, social exclusion, and discrimination. “Stigma can lead to discrimination … It may be obvious or direct … Or it may be unintentional or subtle…” (Staff). Stigma is often as big as the illness itself and I confess to having been a perpetuator of this dreaded thing, although not consciously aware and without the intent of furthering the harm of someone.