The Stigma Of Mental Health Illness

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

According to NAMI, The National Alliance of Mental Illness 1 in 5 adults experience a mental health condition yearly. 1 in 20 people live with a serious mental illness like, schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Not only does the person who is directly experiencing a mental illness suffer, but the family, and friends are also highly affected. NAMI states that 50% of mental health conditions begin by age 14 and 75% of mental illnesses develop by age 24. Each year, 1 in 5 children from the ages 13-18 experiences a mental illness reported by NAMI. That’s a large amount of our young generation. Three out of four people with a mental illness report that they have experienced stigma, a mark of disgrace that sets a person apart according to the

Over the past decade suicide rates have been either stagnant or have been decreasing over all of the demographics of people. One demographic of people's suicide rate, on the other hand, has risen at a substantial rate. Scientists and researchers have just started studying this trend and have yet to draw one specific reason on why middle aged white males suicide rates are climbing. The suicide rate for this demographic of people has just surpassed the deaths by automobile accidents. This recent epidemic has got many researchers and scientists asking the question of “why?”.

Low suicide and eating disorder rates among African Americans suggest that, individuals of the African American community may have effective coping mechanisms to help protect against such pathological behaviors. It is proposed that one of the main mechanisms is the continued dependence on Afrocentric identification versus a more Eurocentric one. Thus, it is the aim of this study to investigate if and under what conditions ethnic identification becomes a predictor of suicide in African American men and eating disorder symptomatology in African American women.

Using material from Item A and elsewhere, assess different sociological explanations of suicide. (21 marks)

There was a drastic rise in the suicide rates among white males specifically. One did not see that same rise in suicide rates among minorities. There has been plenty of speculation as to why that could have been. One reason is that the one cannot lose money that they never had access too. Although the Great Depression was bad for the country, it has a big effect on those with power in society and that was white males who were not accustomed to not getting their way or having to live without the money they lost and they could not handle it. A similar trend happened even as recent as the Recession of 2008-2009 when there was a surge of suicide rates among white people. Even though we have improved vastly as a society from the 1920s until now there was a similar pattern we see. The United States is for the most part run by Caucasians so when we have an economic decline it does not affect minorities as much as if effects majorities who are not used to living without. Being forced into downsizing and not being able to handle the stress that comes with having less plays a role in the suicide rates being higher among Caucasians than Non- Caucasians as a

According to further findings of the research, “In 2007, suicide was the third-leading cause of death among fifteen to twenty-four-year-old Black Americans.” When compared to their white peers they were also found to be more liable to attempt suicide. Sometimes stress can be unavoidable in our everyday lives; however, everyone’s coping method is different. Therefore, assisting someone in understanding the cause of the problem and learning how to cope is a very vital and effective way to prevent or reduce the number of individuals from taking their own lives. Wang and his colleagues (N(Wang, Nyutu, & Tran, 2012) also stated that, “Coping has played a mediator role between antecedent stressful event and psychological distress such as anxiety,

The topic of mental illness had become a recurring theme in my life during 2015. Health and wellness of the mind was a topic never brought up in my household during my childhood and well into my adolescence. My father always reminded me “Ashley, were black. We don't get depressed or anxious, we just face our problems head on because we’re naturally strong people.” Constantly hearing this gave me the false notion that mental

Along with the hushed attitude towards mental illness in the African American community is the hushed attitude towards African Americans and suicide. In some cases they go hand in hand. Not only were the symptoms and signs of the mental illness overlooked or never taken into real consideration, but also the unfortunate belief that black people just don’t commit suicide sometimes ended in

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.

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.

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.

“I want to be able to talk to someone in a pub and say ‘I have been mentally ill’ and for them to say ‘That’s interesting, what did you experience?’”, said a survivor from the UK in 1997 (Sayce 18). Almost twenty years later and this man 's wish still has not come true. People may ask why, and the answer is because of the stigma that comes along with having a mental illness. Mental illness is something not often talked about because of the fear of being judged. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one in every four Americans has a mental illness, and only about 40% of them seek professional help (Hamid). People are being put into mental institutions instead of getting the help that they need to get better, because even people in the medical field are not understanding about this situation because they do not understand how it feels. The stigma and stereotypes towards mental illnesses are overwhelming, therefore people should be made aware of their impact and take steps to reduce stigma and stereotypes.

Mental health issues have been an ongoing hot topic in this country for over a century. Though many strides have been made to increase awareness and lessen the stigma, there continues to be a barrier to mental health care, especially for our nations’ youth and young adults. I will be discussing the history behind mental health care, current policies regarding it, how the presence of stigma reduces the likelihood that youth and young adults are receiving the adequate mental health care they require, how mental health awareness decreases these stigma, and how policy changes can lead to overall acceptance and mental health treatment of youth.

“Suicide, the deliberate taking of one’s own life.” Suicide does not only affect the individual itself, it especially affects those who survive their death, such as the individual’s parents, friends, peers and surrounding communities. When Carol Todd, mother of Amanda Todd who was a suicide victim, said “I have lost one child, but know she wanted her story to save 1,000 more,” she struck attention to the biggest issue in youth communities. The thought of a young individual passing away as a result of overwhelming hopelessness is devastating to everyone in a society. Society plays a huge role in suicide. Although most adolescents commit suicide due to depression, if their depression was not hereditary, most likely it would be caused by the society around them. Canadian statistics show that, “20% of kids cyberbullied think about suicide, and 1 in 10 attempt it,” and “approximately 4500 adolescents commit suicide each year.” Suicide is important in sociology because sociologist, Emile Durkheim studied it. He viewed that suicide is treated differently throughout various cultures and religions. He also discovered that suicide is less common in women than men. There are many aspects that tie into suicide, and as a society, everyone should give more attention to this sensitive topic as it may benefit themselves or their peers.