Stigmas Against Mental Health Care

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.

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).

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.

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

As a practicing Certified Nursing Assistant (C.N.A) for almost ten years, I have encountered vast patient population. There are times where my assignment consist of just watching one patient for the whole 8-hour shift. The reports I tend to get from the previous shift is that patient is “crazy”, “handful” and “you are going to have a bad day”, it got me thinking of my upcoming shift, perhaps not going to be a good one. I have developed my own ways of caring for mentally ill population. As I have researched the internet I have found information regarding mental healthcare where in where it is stigmatized, and to stop this stigma in healthcare training must start early.

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

People don’t want to get help, because they are embarrassed. Doctor Marilyn Ricci who is the president of the National Alliance of Mental Illness or N.A.M.I. says that over 25 percent of people with mental illness will not get the treatment they need because they are too ashamed and think that they don’t have anyone that cares for them. They believe that people will look at them differently or think that they are crazy. Many will lose their jobs, and lose connections with family and friends. Uninformed people believe that mental illness are not real, treatable illnesses. The N.A.M.I. says that untreated mental illnesses cost the U.S. 100 billion dollars each year. Many people think that they are alone, but they are far from it. One in four adults, around 70 million Americans live with a serious mental illness such as schizophrenia, major depression, or bipolar

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

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).

People that suffer from mental illnesses are often thought to have drawn the short hand in life. Not only must they experience the hardships that many go through from day to day, but they must do so with a whole new layer of issues that are no walk in the park. On top of everything, they have to mull over the different methods of coping with their condition. From “talk therapy” to drowning in medications, all are temporary solutions to a major issue that has been plaguing humanity for as long as history can record. What about this situation could possibly be changed? One viewpoint theorizes that a lack of public awareness about mental health is the greatest downfall when it comes to treatment options. Another point of view states that a lack

Actor and comedian Robin Williams dies of apparent suicide at the age of 63. He was assumed to have been suffering from a long term depression so severe that resulted in drug abuse to hide his mental illness. Being so famous and so loved by many, he still wasn’t able to get the help he needed because he was so afraid of being stigmatized against. Robin was a talented and loving individual whose presence touched so many lives. This shows that mental health doesn’t discriminate against or for the rich and the famous, it can happen to anyone.

Stigma would hinder the ability for those to seek treatment by the fact that it would cause this discrimination to be put forth upon them. It is a common problem that most people who suffer from a sort of mental illness feel as if they are going to be treated as a burden. They may have trouble finding an actual person to help them because many view the problem as not that big of concerning issue. It is quite common for many people who suffer from mental illnesses to go through many people before they find one that helps. In the process of finding this person, they see signs and gestures that “they are a bother” or “why are you wasting my time” kind of deals. This discourages them from seeking help in the first place.

Mental illness is a very common part of society today yet, we brush it under the rug and avoid facing the reality of it. This topic relates to society because those who do not not have mental illness are also affected by the stigma of mental illnesses. All the different parts of society all view mental illness slightly differently but it's almost always negative. The mental illness i'm using for this essay would be the “common” disorders. This includes depression, anxiety, adhd, bipolar, and schizophrenia which are the most common. About 1 in 5 adults in the US has in someone been affected by mental illness at one point in their life.

Stigma: As it’s stated above, when children have mutually responsive and dependable relationship with their first caregiver, a secure attachment style develops (Sroufe, 2003). This makes the children believe that their primary caretaker (parent) will always be available for them to meet their needs. Bowlby stated that a child who has experienced a secure attachment is however, likely to develop a representational model of attached figure that will be available, helpful and responsive to them (Bowlby, 1980). For the children, this secure attachment serves as a form of self-confidence, healthy sense of autonomy and the capacity to tolerate stress (Bellow, 2012). In an event where the parent is imprison, children may experience disapproval, ostracism, stigma, scorn, bullying and teasing, which might increase their antisocial behavior and mental health problems (Braman and wood 2003 cited in Murrey & Farrington 2005). The Stigma and feeling of isolation associated with being the family of a prisoner, or being contaminated in some way can lead to abuse from others. According to Boswell and Wedge 2002, the interview with 127 caregivers of children with imprisoned father, suggested that children sometimes "get verbal abuse from other children" about their parent imprisonment, and when this pressure is too much to handle they end up not wanting to go to school (child 's caregiver, quoted in Boswell and Wedge, 2002, p. 67). These attitudes from many families can really be a

“And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient” (Quran,2:155)