The Consequences Of Mental Health Patients Being Stigmatized And Discriminated Against

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

The provision of mental health services in the U.S. is a social justice issue that affects vulnerable populations in a variety of ways, including: limited access to quality mental health programs, especially in rural areas; the stigma associated with seeking mental health help; and discrimination against those with mental health issues. The far-reaching implications on our current system and policies of mental health care mean that it is a pervasive issue in the United States. According to the Scientific American, “Mental health care is one of the biggest

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.

To many a stigma is a disgraceful flaw, that of a negative presence. In mental health this stigma is overwhelming. Approximately 57.7 million Americans experience a mental health disorder in any given year. (National Alliance on Mental Illness) People in dire need of help are not seeking it. Mental illnesses are going undiagnosed. The mental health stigma is having a negative impact on the proper diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses.

In recent years, evidence and studies have proven that the shutdown of various mental health facilities across the nation has caused a dramatic increase in the number of incarcerations for people who suffer from mental illness. In 2006, the Bureau of Justice Statistics calculated that there were approximately 705,600 mentally ill adults incarcerated in state prisons, 78,800 mentally ill adults incarcerated in federal prisons, and 479,900 mentally ill adults incarcerated in local jails (“Mentally Ill”). In response to the increase in the number of incarcerations and news stories, people around the nation developed harmful stigmas towards mentally ill people. According to Sarah Glazer’s article entitled "Prisoners and Mental Illness", the state governments do not allocate enough spending to mental health care. In the hopes of reducing funding and saving money, many state governments across the nation forced the shutdown of public mental health facilities, which led to an increase in crimes committed by mentally ill people. According to Dr. Marie E. Rueve and Dr. Randon S. Welton’s article entitled “Violence and Mental Illness”, society believes that mentally ill people are worthless and violent, which is a negative impact of the increase in crimes committed by mentally ill people. In response to the stigma created by society, many people believe that the mentally ill deserve incarceration in order to keep them from harming other members of the community. According to the

The American mentally ill population faces numerous barriers to acquiring basic services that those without mental illness receive daily. Advocating for the mentally ill population gives a voice to those who cannot voice their problems or may not know how. Mental illness is often misdiagnosed or underdiagnosed. Individuals who are not properly diagnosed cannot receive necessary medical treatment which can help them live normal lives. When needed medical treatment is not made available, those who suffer often end up homeless, and frequently cycle in, and out of the judicial system because their

Mental Illness, that name conjures up a vast array of frightening images in the minds of the general public and media; an unfair image that is stigmatizing for the sufferer. The stigma is also pervasive in the mental health field, where patients who receive treatment are sometimes treated unfairly by the practitioners, who are supposed to help them in the first place. This is what my paper will discuss, the effects of stigma and labeling on patients and their families. I have culled many sources from scholarly papers, that back up my claim. I will describe what I thought of about the articles and how they pertain to the main points I am trying to make.

Mental illness has similar and equally detrimental symptoms to physical illness. It touches the lives of everyone, whether you are affected by it personally, or have a friend and/or family member suffering from one. Approximately one in five adults suffers from a mental disorder each year (NAMI, 2016). Unfortunately, no matter how real mental illness is, it has not shaken the stigma or gained the proper attention from the health care system and insurance companies it needs to be able to treat and prevent psychotic episodes. Often times, the communities idea of helping the issue is by removing the affected from society, or ignoring the problem altogether. For those afflicted with mental disorders, it has lead to discrimination, homelessness, and even suicide. As the United States seeks reform in the healthcare system, it is the perfect time to request more resources for mental health.

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 illness is considered to be an epidademic effecting approximately 42.5 million people in America alone (NAMI, n.d). Accessibility to mental health services is considered the worst in comparison to any other medical healthcare need( Kliff,S, 2012).Those who suffer from mental health issues not only have to deal with the stigma of the disease but discrimination as well which is why it is imperative the issue must gain a larger

When we imagine someone who is ill, with a cold or the flu, we picture the individual in clean conditions receiving gentle and compassionate care from a doctor, nurse or care giver. That was not the case for those suffering from mental illness in the 1950s. Individuals with mental illness were locked away in an asylum and treated in inhumane conditions. These patients were suffering but no one seemed to really care; they were viewed as hopeless. Mental health laws began to emerge due to the horrific conditions. As the growth of civil rights movement began to expand, lawyers were stepping up to fight for the rights of the individuals in the state mental hospitals. They are humans getting treated as though they are nothing and don’t belong in the community; so how do we change this already established system and stigma? Deinstitutionalization. The goal of deinstitutionalization is provide better treatment and quality care for patients. There were three main goals to accomplish: civil commitments made by judges, improvements in the conditions of the institutions and the “right to refuse treatment” for individuals suffering form mental illness. During the constitutional era, federal courts applied authority over state

society respond to those classified as having a mental illness. These questions can be answered

There are various stigmas associated with mental illnesses, many of which, are both incorrect, and uninformed. There will be several articles discussed in this paper. All of the articles mentioned here with deal with such mental illness stigmas, such as stigmas that affect the current generation, how the mentally ill are discriminated against in everyday life, and how one’s culture affects how he or she views mental illnesses. Discussed here will also be said article’s findings, such as the results of its experiment, and what measurements were used. These articles agree that stigmas are every where, regardless of culture, age, or social standing, but that the intensity and importance of those stigmas do vary.

It’s safe to assume that nobody enjoys being diagnosed with an illness. They have to deal with the fear of what comes after and the pain and other terrible things that go along with illness. Most people would not think of stigma when they are diagnosed with an illness, but people with mental illnesses think otherwise. There’s a lot of negative stigma that goes along with mental illnesses. People assume that these people are violent and unstable. When a person is diagnosed with a mental illness he/she not only has to deal with the fear that goes along with it, but he/she must also constantly face all the stigma around it. This has an extremely negative effect on people with mental illnesses. To change this, people need to be made aware of the