The Philosophical Framework Missing From Mental Health

Mental health is defined as the state of satisfactory use of mental function, which results in productive activities, interactions, adjustment to change and coping with challenges (Healthy People 2020, 2012). It is fundamental to one's personal well-being, his interpersonal relationships, and fruitful participation in, and contribution to, society in general. Mental illness or mental disorder refers as a whole to all diagnosable disturbances of the mind. These disturbances are characterized by changes in thinking, mood, and/or behavior, which produce pain, discomfort, abnormal functioning or death. Mental illnesses are serious medical conditions, which cannot be overcome by simple will power. They are not caused by personality weakness or intelligence (Healthy People 2020; NAMI, 2012).

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.

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.

The emphasis on the dangerousness of the mentally ill has only helped fueled the stigma against mental illness in America, harming those who need help the most. Although the stigma against mental illness in America is perhaps comparatively weak when compared to the stigma in developing countries or Asian countries, it is strong enough where “despite the availability of effective evidence-based treatment, about 40% of individuals with serious mental illness do not receive care and many who begin an intervention fail to complete it” (Association for Psychological

The CDC reported only 20% of US adults went to a mental health provider in the past year. The other 80% were too ashamed and embarrassed to be associated with getting help. Society has shaped an image of the perfect person, and people with mental illnesses don’t believe that they fit that mold, because of this, they aren’t willing to seek help and instead turn to dangerous coping methods. Some of these coping methods include, smoking, drinking, drug use, binge eating, cutting, and possible suicide. These methods can cause chronic disease and premature death. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, those living with serious mental illness die an average of 25 years earlier than the general public, primarily due to treatable conditions. Due to the stigma of mental illness, people are treated wrongfully and are discriminated against, causing them to not get proper care. This discrimination causes people to have unequal access to housing, healthcare, employment, education, and community support, and can lead to unemployment, homelessness, and poverty. With all of these unfair and unjust barriers, it’s not hard to figure out why people wait so long to get diagnosed.

In our current society, many believe that barriers to mental health treatments are “limited availability and affordability of mental health care services, insufficient mental health care policies, lack of education about mental illness, and stigma” (Unite for Site, 2000-2013). If those barriers exist for

Despite the recent advancements in education and medical care, mental illness continues to thrive in modern society, destroying the lives of an estimated 60 million individual worldwide, which is precisely what Lexi Lyon discusses in Sustaining the Stigma, where she implores that healthy individuals around the world recognize the real and detrimental affects that mental health has. Unlike other health diagnoses, mental illnesses are not openly discussed nor does the majority of society accept it as a real health issue. Lyon explains that the culmination of false stereotypes, prejudice, and a lack of understanding have led to the perpetuation of ill-willed treatment toward those who suffer from illnesses that affect an individual’s way of thinking,

Mental health is described by the World Health Organization as “ state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully” and typically covers topics regarding the happiness derived from work , relationships, family and life in general. Previously stigmatized in society , ferm links have been establish between mental health effecting physical health, in which the holistic approach , similar to the social model, draws attention to the root cause of the condition and its triggers.

One in five Americans suffer from a mental illness (SoRelle). In a country where mental illness is common, victims are still afraid to seek help for their disease. More often than not, this is due to the negative stigma that surrounds it. Unfortunately, the refusal to garner help for mental illness can lead to negative consequences that are entirely preventable. Although there are negative stigmas that surround it, untreated mental illness leads to incarceration, suicide, and homelessness.

It is estimated that 43.5 million Americans, adults 18 or older, live with mental illness. This number represents 18.1% of all U.S. adults (National Institute of Mental Health, 2014). Stigma toward those who are seen as different have existed for as long as civilization itself, with the stigma for mental illness being one of the most prominent and long lasting that society has had to face throughout its ages (Arboleda-Florez & Stuart, 2012). Increased understanding and awareness for those individuals suffering from mental illness is necessary for us to overcome the impacts stigma has on our society.

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

During a mental health event the First Lady, Michelle Obama said, “At the root of this dilemma is the way we view mental health in this country. [...] Whether an illness affects your heart, your leg or your brain, it’s still an illness, and there should be no distinction.” This shows that mental illness stigma in society is based on mental illness being perceived more negatively than other physical illness when it should actually be seen as the same. Stigma around mental illness has had very immense adverse effects on the willingness of undiagnosed suffers to not seek treatment when they need it. As a result of this one in five people with a mental illness will not get the treatment they need which has the effect of high suicide rates among the untreated sufferers. In an effort to reduce stigma around mental illness, so that more undiagnosed sufferers seek treatment, schools should devote more time to increasing awareness of mental illness and its effects.

Predominantly, in the West, mental health is described as the lack of a psychiatric illness. Overall, very little science has been completed of “mental health”. Western studies chiefly focus on mental disorders and only by default define mental health.3 Mental illness refers to an array of mental health problems that affect mood, thinking, and, or behavior. Over the course of a person’s life they many experience many mental health concerns, but it does not becomes a mental illness until the symptoms occur frequent enough that they hinder one’s ability to function.7 In Buddhism, what the Mayo Clinic defines as a mental concern would be classified as a mental illness. This discrepancy in translation is important in understanding how the concepts of mental health differ across the

Individuals with serious mental illness are doubly affected by their disease; not only do they experience the often debilitating symptoms of their condition, but they must also endure mundane mental health stigmas and prejudices. Stigmatized attitudes are perceived to be one of the greatest impediments to living a complete and fulfilling life. Stigma has been defined as a combination of three related problems: ignorance, prejudice and discrimination (Rose, Thornicroft, Pinfold, & Kassam, 2007). Ignorance implies a lack of knowledge, prejudice entails negative attitudes, and discrimination involves exclusionary actions against people deemed to be different. Two forms of stigma are commonly distinguished in literature. Public stigma describes the attitudes of society towards people with mental illness, while self-stigma results from the internalization of prejudice by people who suffer from mental health conditions (Corrigan, Powell, & Rüsch, 2012). The World Health Organization announced that stigma was the most crucial obstacle to overcome for a community to functioning effectively and efficiently (Ontario Hospital Association, 2013).

The World Health Organization (2012) defines mental health as "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease." WHO establishes the connection of mental health to the promotion of mental well-being, the prevention of mental disorders and the treatment of mental disorders and the rehabilitation of those afflicted with these disorders (WHO).