Stigma Around Mental Illness

There are three things that can be used to define stigma: stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination (Corrigan 16). One type of stigma is called public-stigma, which is “the reaction the general population has to people with mental illness” (Corrigan 16). The media plays a large role in creating stereotypes and misconceptions. People tend to believe whatever they see on television, in movies, on the Internet, etc. Three of the common misconceptions created by the media are, “ people with mental illness are homicidal maniacs who need to be feared; they have childlike perceptions of the world that should be marveled; or they are responsible for their illness because they have weak character.” (Corrigan 29-32). These are traits most frequently used to describe those with mental illness and almost all of them are inaccurate. While, yes, there are people who do possess one or more of those traits, they are almost never seen out and about in daily life. The media has an unfortunate responsibility in properly portraying any sort of minority, but yet they still continue to misrepresent these groups. The only reason public-stigma really exists is because people are not fully educated on what it is actually like to have a mental illness. The media’s poor representation is all they know. If the media were to either stop misrepresenting mental illness victims, or portray them in a way that is

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

While the treatment methodology for mental illness has improved over the last few decades, the negative stigma surrounding those who seek care is still a major roadblock. (Corrigan, 2004) To better understand the term stigma, the definition must first be examined. According to Merriam Webster’s Dictionary Stigma is defined as “a set of negative often unfair beliefs that a society or group of people have about something; a mark of shame or discredit.” (Stigma, 2015). These views are often

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.

al, 2015; Pearl et. al, 2017). Because of this, it is important that future studies are conducted that investigate the prevalence of the mental health stigma in the United States so that nation-wide programs may be directed to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness. Enumerating on the negative effects of the mental illness stigma is relatively easy given the fact that there is considerable research on the subject. For example, Corrigan (2004) notes that mental health stigma is linked to decreased access to mental health care in those who need it, which in turn exacerbates their situation and further perpetuates the idea that lack of proper mental health care is acceptable. According to Oexle et. al (2015), mental illness stigma is linked to a higher risk for suicidal ideation and feelings of hopelessness in those with mental health problems, which results in an increased risk of suicide. In addition, the effects of the stigma can be seen throughout the therapeutic process. As Pearl et. al note (2017), increased internalized stigma is associated with worse mental health condition, and decreased stigma results in decreased symptomatic severity in those with mental health issues. This means that if someone feels highly stigmatized throughout the treatment process that they will likely recover more slowly than those who feels less stigmatized. This again proves why it is important to study which populations suffer the most from mental health stigmatization so that it can be properly addresses in hopes of reducing the countless negative effects associated with

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 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.

Mental health disorders affect just about every single person in the world. These disorders come in many forms and severities. A couple of these disorders are depression, anxiety, eating disorders, posttraumatic stress disorder, and many more. In the United States alone 43.8 million, 1 in 5, adults suffer from a form of a mental health disorder. About 21.4%, or 1 in 5 juveniles ages 13-18, suffer from mental health disorders. Of people in our country who are homeless or incarcerated, majority of them suffer from at least one form of a mental health disorder. These disorders can also lead to suicide. Suicide is a terrible act that has risen in prevalence recently. Mental health issues are

Mental health can be seen to be surrounded by prejudice, ignorance and discrimination. (Time to Change, 2016) In this essay, the visualisation will be identified and its meaning to this student will be discussed. The visualisation issue being explored is related to the stigma surrounding mental health. The visualisation itself was a jar with a sticker attached stating, ‘label jars … not people.’ This issue is really interesting and enlightening. It opens your eyes to what is really happening to individuals who have a mental health illness. Understanding why the public and the media have this stigma towards people with mental health problems and the theories in place can help to identify the effects on people. Services, strategies of care and

There are two different types of stigmas that effect individuals with a mental illness, public stigma and self-stigma. Both of these stigmas may create additional barriers that prevent these individuals to seek and follow through with treatment. Public stigma is created by the general population whereas self-stigma is internally created by the individual. According to Corrigan, self-stigma may either empower the individual to rise above what other are saying or if the individual has low self-esteem, may impede the treatment process.

One big issue in the world right now is stigma against individuals with mental illness. One may ask, “What is stigma?” “Stigma” is one of those words one hears a lot, but if one was asked to define it, one would know where to start. In fact, the word “stigma” is in the top 10% of look ups on the Merriam-Webster Dictionary's website. According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of stigma is “a set of negative and often unfair beliefs that a society or group of people have about something.” The first known use of the word “stigma” was circa 1593. “Stigma” is derived from the Latin word “stigmat”, which means a mark or brand (Merriam-Webster, Incorporated). Types of stigma include prejudice, discrimination, cues, and stereotypes. Now, one

The stigma in the mental health system is deeply rooted and its origin goes back by centuries. The stigma is powerful that it has been codified in federal since last 50 years. But the realization that the stigma attached adversely affects mental health care system is still lacking. The discrimination against mental illness has invaded the systemic structure causing more worries to sufferers of mental illness and their families. While every individual and system is well aware of mental illness and the biggest constraint in its prevention, there is a huge gap between literature and real practice (Kelly et al, 2010). This essay is a reflection on two newspaper articles on schizophrenia to provide a brief account of personal observation, common misconceptions, scientific truth and mainstream issues that needs an immediate attention. PERSONAL OBSERVATION The very right question which I personally believe every individual should ask of them before jumping into any conclusion on schizophrenia is why and how they are different. There is a little difference between schizophrenic people and common mass, although the effects of being schizophrenic are risky as compared to effect of actions by common mass. I am privileged to spend some time with schizophrenic patients. The actions carried out by them are oriented towards fulfilling their wishes, dreams, wants, etc. But what makes them different is their illness that distorts their actions and lands them into trouble. The

The stigma in mental health system is deep rooted and its origin goes back by centuries. The stigma is powerful that it has been codified in federal since last 50 years. But the realization that the stigma attached adversely affects mental health care system is still lacking. The discrimination against mental illness has invaded the systemic structure causing more worries to sufferers of mental illness and their families. While every individual and system is well aware of mental illness and the biggest constraint in its prevention, there is a huge gap between literature and real practice (Kelly et al, 2010). This essay is a reflection on two newspaper articles on schizophrenia to provide a brief account of personal observation, common misconceptions, scientific truth and mainstream issues that needs an immediate attention.

Public stigma refers to the public endorsement of stereotype, prejudice, and discrimination towards the minority group (Corrigan, Roe & Tsang, 2011; Werner, 2015). The common public stigma of people with mental illness includes incompetence, permanence, and dangerousness (Heller & Gitterman, 2011).

The Stigma on Mental Health is an issue I strive to expose daily. I was raised by a parent who suffers from mental health and addictions issues and then had a child with someone with similar issues. More recently I have witnessed my best friend struggle to find support for her eight year old son who has a complex clinical profile. Watching so many people I love struggle daily to receive support and basic empathy, I feel I have become somewhat of an expert on the effects of stigma on mental health . The Agency I will be discussing my critical research on is East Metro Youth Services. I have chosen to write my paper on an agency that focuses children and youth with mental health needs . After researching the various demographics of sufferers I realized children and youth are often undertreated and underdiagnosed. Canada has a two tier health care system which means, often times poor Canadians do not receive adequate treatment and diagnosis. Statistics shows that “70% of mental health problems have their onset during early childhood or adolescence” (Government of Canada, 2006, The human face of Mental Health and Mental Illness in Canada). It is important as a Social Service Worker that I use my personal experience to help advocate and address the issues and needs of children and youth in order to prevent unnecessary suffering for children, youth and families dealing with mental health and addictions issues.