...World Health Organization described stigma as one of “the world’s remaining greatest obstacles to the treatment of mental illness” (Chronister, Chou, & Liao, 2013, p.2). Mental illness is defined as a serious mental, behavioral or emotional disorder that disables one’s ability to fully engage in life activities (Chronister, Chou, & Liao, 2013). In general, mental illness can range from sitting alone in a room for a while to eating less and to having severe depression/anxiety, suicidal thoughts, or schizophrenia (Kaplan, Aneshensel, Bierman, & Phelan, 2013). From a sociological standpoint, the study of mental illness deals with examining how societal notions frame the thoughts, feelings, and actions...
Words: 1201 - Pages: 5
...Bill Clinton once said “Mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of, but stigma and bias shame us all.” This means that people with mental illnesses are shamed because of stigma and stereotypes thought about mental illnesses. Many do not realize that there is a stigma associated with mental illnesses or that they are stigmatizing those with them. The stigma is generally not talked about which can worsen the effects of the stigma. There are many reasons why the stigma of mental illness should end. People are misinformed or miseducated about mental illnesses which adds on to the stigma. One example of a common mental disorder that people do not know much about is schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is described as a brain disorder which impacts different cognitive, behavioral and emotional thoughts (“Mental Disorders”). Many of those in society do not realize that this is what schizophrenia is which shows that people need to be educated more about common mental illnesses. In addition, at any given year eighteen percent of the United States population experiences an anxiety disorder (“Mental Disorders”). There is a copious amount of mental illnesses, but if people are educated about...
Words: 522 - Pages: 3
...The Stigma of Mental Illness and its Effects It appears that negative views of mental illness are common with in the public. According to Overton & Medina people suffering from mental illness are often portrayed as weird, defensive, and sometimes hard to talk to. According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary (1990), mental illness is defined as, “mentally distorted, mad, or crazy” (Russel, 1990). Generally, concepts about mental illness tend to be subjective, leading to difficulties in defining mental illness. Johnstone (2001) gives a broader definition of mental illness, believing that mental illness relates to the individuals spectrum of cognitions, emotions, and behaviors that damper relationships required for work, home, and in the learning facilities (Johnstone, 2001). This definition is also referenced in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed; DSM-IV; American Psychiatric Association, 1994), which categorizes the symptoms that are used to diagnose mental illness (American Psychiatric Association, 1994). Stigmatizing individuals with mental illness are causing these individuals to suffer loss of employment, housing, and stereotyping, and prejudice. There have been many different thoughts this is not research on the topic of stigma due to mental illness. This study discusses the true definitions of stigma, causes, effects, impact of the programs all ready in place, and what can be done to change the perception of the general public . Individuals...
Words: 2549 - Pages: 11
...Evaluation of whether biogenetic explanations of mental illness help or hinder efforts to reduce social stigma associated with these conditions “People suffering from mental illness and other mental health problems are among the most stigmatized, discriminated against, marginalized, disadvantaged and vulnerable members of our society” (Johnstone, 2001). Wrong assumptions and undesirable judgements connected with mental illness may be as damaging as the disease itself. Schizophrenia may cause hallucinations including violence. Depression could cause thought of laziness and substance abuse. Social stigma reduces opportunities available for people with serious mental illnesses (Johnstone, 2001). Medicalization is expected to be a strategy that could be used to reduce blame and stigma, although those who oppose this have said to proceed with caution as attributing mental illness to biogenetic causes may cause unnecessary side effects that could worsen prejudice and rejection (Kvaale, 2013). This essay will review the definitions of mental illness and stigma and the impact that social stigma has on people with these illnesses. It will look at whether increased ‘medicalization’ of mental illness, as thought by the biogenetic explanations, has any impact on public attitudes towards people with such illnesses. Perceptions on mental illness is not always accurate as definitions have mostly been biased over the years. One of the definitions used to describe the mentally ill were...
Words: 1205 - Pages: 5
...Mental illness has always been subject to stigma and social discrimination (Mirnezami, Jacobsson & Edin-Liljegren (2015). Beliefs about mental illness are important for several reasons including shaping how individuals seek treatment as well as influencing the likelihood of a patient being rejected by the public (Schnittker, (2008). The changing nature of mental illness explanations from psychosocial to biomedical has been said to have both a brighter and darker side in terms of the effect of this on the social stigma and public beliefs associated with these conditions (Pattyn, Verhaeghe, Sercu & Bracke. (2013), that is, there are both benefits of, including the increase in help-seeking behaviours; and deficits resulting from the resulting stigma associated with this model of explaining mental illness. Despite the premise of the biomedical model, there are mixed consequences stemming from this in regards to how a person with mental illness see’s themselves as well as how they are viewed not only by the public, but also by their treating physician, as mentioned by Haslam and Kvaale (2015). For this essay, social stigma can be defined as, or measured by, the desire for social distance or reluctance to undertake in social contact with a person with mental illness (Angermeyer, Holzinger, Carta and Schomerus...
Words: 714 - Pages: 3
...Societal Stigma 1 Running Head: Societal Stigma " " " " " " " High School students are less likely [than adults] to seek help for their mental illnesses due to societal stigma. " Guy Bukovsky" Ms. Fornazar" HSP3U" Dec 12, 2014" " " " " " " " Societal Stigma 2 " Through collecting 21 survey results and analyzing the answers given I was able to draw some conclusions. First off, people who have not been diagnosed with a mental illness are 11.6% more comfortable with talking to the guidance department about mental health; from this result, I can conclude that people who have been diagnosed with a mental illness are feeling shame or fear of stigmatization. In addition, those who have not been diagnosed with a mental illness are 11.67% more comfortable going to guidance in relation to a friend’s mental health. Those people who have been diagnosed with ADHD were generally more comfortable speaking with the guidance department. On the contrary, people who have been diagnosed with a depressive disorder were least likely to feel comfortable speaking with the guidance department. This further exemplifies the stigmatization of depression. The mean of all answers to the question “How comfortable do you feel when it comes to talking about your mental health issues with friends and peers?” is 3.18/5 which is significantly higher than the 2.31/5 and 2.59/5 regarding speaking to faculty and guidance, respectively. So while there is societal stigma, teens...
Words: 1811 - Pages: 8
...The stigma surrounding mental health adversely affects people with mental illnesses and it has continuously been an issue in the United States. According to Amy Sickel, Jason Seacat, and Nina Nabors, “Nearly half of American adults are likely to experience a mental disorder during their lifetime” (202). Yet, as stated by Susan Abbey and other members of the Canadian Psychiatric Association, the stigma and discrimination based on race and gender has decreased significantly in the last century while it remains prevalent for people with mental illness (1). “Stigma marks a person as different and devalued” (Abbey et al. 2). Many studies show that increased mental health stigma contributes to decreased self-esteem and lower self-efficacy. This...
Words: 350 - Pages: 2
...I am a firm believer that social stigma does exist against individuals who seek treatment for mental health concerns. This topic really hits home for two reasons. One, I have A.D.D., and two, I suffer from depression. It took me a while to say these things out loud. I cried when I was diagnosed because I did not want to rely on medication for me to function normally. I also didn't want people to look at me different. Even though I have accepted it, I still get people who think it is all in my head. They really think it is something that I can fix if I concentrate harder, or think happier thoughts. I have had a close friend tell me that depression is not even a real thing. Social stigma is out there. As stated in the artical, "No shame, no blame:...
Words: 252 - Pages: 2
...large gray area of uncertainty when it comes to mental illness. The uncertainty mainly coming from psychiatrists that believe mental illness should not be considered a real disease. However, that is not the reality of the situation, because mental illness most definitely should be considered a real disease. Mental illnesses should be considered real diseases because of the effects it has on its victims, and by definition of what a disease is, along with it being very common around the world. Mental Illnesses effect on a person's well-being can be as small and drastic as any other disease out there. If anything, their (Mental Illness's) effects transition from small to drastic, is way faster than the majority of other diseases. This type of rapid transition is unfortunately found in one of the most mental disorder in our society, Depression (Major Depressive Disorder). Depressions effect merely starts...
Words: 960 - Pages: 4
...The Stigma Following Mentally Ill Individuals and How It Undermines Their Progress Mental illness is usually regarded as a curable disease, but what if people knew it can be a life sentence worsened by the beliefs of others? At the mere age of eleven, I was diagnosed with Major Depression; A debilitating mental illness, in my case brought on by childhood bullying and what I like to call, “bad genes.” After diagnosis, I assumed that my biggest struggle would be lack of motivation, but unfortunately it was the stigma. I soon became extremely sensitive to what others thought of me. Some individuals refused to be my friend just because I was mentally ill. Others seemed somewhat empathetic, yet ignored me anyways. Some things don’t change,...
Words: 793 - Pages: 4
...FAMILY PAMPHLET TO MINIMIZE STIGMA FOR PERSONS LIVING WITH A SEVERE MENTAL ILLNESS A project presented to The Faculty and Staff of Saybrook University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (M.A.) in Psychology by R. Paul Johnson San Francisco, CA December 2013 Approval of the Project FAMILY PAMHLET TO MINIMIZ STIGMA FOR PERSONS LIVING WITH A SEVERE MENTAL ILLNESS This project by R. Paul Johnson has been approved by the committee member below, who recommended it be accepted by the faculty of Saybrook University in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Masters of Arts in Psychology Project Committee: Theopia Jackson, Ph.D. Date Abstract FAMILY PAMPHLET TO MINIMZE STIGMA FOR PERSONS LIVING WITH A SEVERE MENTAL ILLNESS R. Paul Johnson Saybrook University Individuals with mental illness have long experienced societal prejudice and discrimination, including among healthcare professionals. However, the stigma that comes from family and friends may have greater adverse impact. This project-reviewed literature on the stigmas associated with a diagnosis of a serious mental illness (SMI), as experienced by the person and family, as factors that may contribute to family/friends inadvertently perpetuating stigmas. Therefore this project integrates literature review findings and the author’s personal/professional experiences in the design of a pamphlet intended to be utilized by...
Words: 12650 - Pages: 51
...literature to define Classification. Briefly Discuss DSM IV and ICD 10 and list the main categories of clinical disorders. The paper will discuss the main dangers of classification identified as labelling and Stigma which have lifelong implications for those diagnosed with a mental illness. The main advantages of classification such as most appropriate treatment and community education Definition of the Classification system used to Diagnosis Mental illness. As Social workers it important to try and grasp the concepts of how classification of mental illness is arrived at and to have a basic knowledge of the types of mental disorders people can be classified as having so we can understand the basis of a diagnosis. According Mendelson (2001) “Classification refers to ordering of objects into groups on the basis of their relationship. The result is a classificatory system. Nomenclature related to agreed names that have been assigned to disease or syndromes. Taxonomy covers principles and methods underlying the practice of classification. Finally, nosology denotes the conceptual system that supports the strategy of classifying.” ( Mendelson 2001 p. 63) Golightley (2004) text states that classification is an important step towards the diagnosis of a mental disorder. Mental disorder is broken down into various classifications that represent groups or syndromes of symptoms. Thus if a series of symptoms fits into a recognised pattern of behaviour they can be classified as for...
Words: 5169 - Pages: 21
...Although mental illness affects almost one in every four UVic students according to a National College Health Assessment research study, it is among the most silent of health related issues. Like many other universities, UVic creates pressure for students trying to juggle academics, extracurricular activities, work, and a social life. Students may feel stuck, and unable to confess the strain this pressure puts on their well-being. The UVic Student Mental Health Initiative is trying to end the trend of silence around mental illness. Nov. 15-21 is National Addictions Awareness week, where students interested in mental health advocacy will come together to spread awareness on addictions in tandem with other mental health issues, in hope of reducing...
Words: 713 - Pages: 3
...Shrnpreet Sidhu David Mikelberg AHSS 1160 November, 25, 2013 Mental Health and the Criminal Justice System: Individual Summary What is Mental Health? Mental health is the balanced development of an individual's personality and emotional attitudes which enable one to live harmoniously with others (Crocker, et all 2011). Mental health involves the development of a healthy individual towards themselves, towards others and towards the environment in which they live, so one can achieve a maximum amount of self-fulfillment (Crocker, et all 2011). Furthermore, mental health differentiates between countries and cultures, and what is considered abnormal differentiates as well. In some countries schizophrenics are killed because they are the devils child. In comparison, in North American countries schizophrenia is a mental illness that can be treated. A mental illness on the other hand is a medical condition that affects a person's thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to others and daily functioning (Crocker, et all 2011). Serious mental illnesses include major depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder and borderline personality disorder. Mental illnesses can affect persons of any age, race, religion or income. Mental illnesses are not the result of personal weakness, lack of character or poor upbringing (Crocker, et all 2011). Most mental illnesses are treatable and there are specific institutions...
Words: 2111 - Pages: 9
...Mental Illness, Deviance, and the Society Research has shown that those who are suffering from mental illness are judged immediately. Furthermore, they find it hard to have stable jobs and maintain friendships and relationships ("Discrimination and stigma," 2013).When you have an illness, you are viewed differently—you are viewed in a negative way. This is what we call stigmatization. What results from stigma is discrimination. Negative attitudes and behaviors are no longer a surprise because when a person acts differently from the others, these negative attitudes and behaviors become common. Expressly and obviously, discrimination becomes evident when a person makes a negative remark about someone’s mental illness. It may also be implied...
Words: 1297 - Pages: 6
