...2010;13:116-124 Mental Health Stigma: What is being done to raise awareness and reduce stigma in South Africa? 1 R Kakuma1,2,3, S Kleintjes3, C Lund3, N Drew4, A Green5, AJ Flisher3,6, MHaPP Research Programme Consortium7 Health Systems Research and Consulting Unit, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada 2Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Canada 3Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, South Africa 4Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland 5Nuffield Centre for International Health and Development (NCIHD), University of Leeds, United Kingdom 6Research Centre for Health Promotion, University of Bergen, Norway 7The Mental Health and Poverty Project (MHaPP) is a Research Programme Consortium (RPC) funded by the UK Department for International Development (DfID)(RPC HD6 2005- 2010) for the benefit of developing countries. The views expressed are not necessarily those of DfID. RPC members include Alan J. Flisher (Director) and Crick Lund (Co-ordinator) (University of Cape Town, Republic of South Africa (RSA)); Therese Agossou, Natalie Drew, Edwige Faydi and Michelle Funk (World Health Organization); Arvin Bhana (Human Sciences Research Council, RSA); Victor Doku (Kintampo Health Research Centre, Ghana); Andrew Green and Mayeh Omar (University of Leeds, UK); Fred Kigozi (Butabika Hospital, Uganda); Martin Knapp (University of London, UK); John Mayeya (Ministry of Health, Zambia);...
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...psychiatric care I see a need to improve team collaboration via mentorship to benefit both team and patient. My quality improvement project (“not etched in marble”) seeks to evaluate the utility and integration of past and present psychiatric practice models. This project will look at present state of affairs as it relates to psychiatric care access, as well as, the historical context of the stigma of psychiatric care. I hope to convincingly demonstrate the importance of psychiatric nurse mentorship as it relates to comprehensive team oriented care which can then result in improved outcomes and best practices. Psychiatric Nurse practitioners can...
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...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...
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...Living with a mental illness presents many challenges to patients. Feelings of despair and loneliness can create havoc in these patient’s lives and can contribute to other comorbidities as well. Incorporating family into patient care can have a positive effect on patient outcomes as well as patient satisfaction. As nurses, we must be astute enough to recognize teachable moments and monopolize that time to educate patients and patient’s families. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the benefits and barriers to incorporating family into the care of a mental health patient. Patients living with a mental illness suffer from poor physical health related to the stigma associated with having a mental disorder. This stigma prevents patients from seeking care from primary care physicians due to poor...
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...barriers could have been overcome. This is an important topic due to the fact that it could take away a patient’s right to choice and how they are treated within health care. It effectively takes away every aspect of patient centeredness which health care professionals strive to achieve. As health care professionals strive to make sure the health care that everyone receives is the best that it can be, it is important that the voice of the patient is heard loud and clear. A crucial element in changing health care is giving the patient the voice to make choices about their own health care and in the decision making of the healthcare facility. The voice of the patient is so important because the patient knows there body and their mind better than anyone else, they have had that body since birth. The voice of the patient is also important because they know what it is like to be a patient whereas health care professionals may only have the perspective from the other side of the bed so to speak. To diminish this voice would mean to take it away from an individual, which effectively suggests that they will have no say in what treatment they receive or how they would like to be treated by health care professionals. There are a variety of ways for the health care professionals to ensure that the patients’ voice is not diminished during care and treatment and these include being able to communicate effectively, not being judgemental or discriminatory and being able to understand the needs of these...
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...Manual (DSM) to Post Traumatic Stress Injury (PTSI). Some argue the stigmatizing power behind the word disorder creates a barrier to service members and veterans seeking care for mental health needs. Supporters assert changing the name will “will reduce the stigma that stops troops from seeking treatment” (Jaffe, 2012). Retired Army General Peter Chiarelli, a major supporter of the change, argues: Calling the condition a "disorder" perpetuates a bias against the mental health illness and "has the connotation of being something that is a pre-existing problem that an individual has" before they came into the Army and "makes the person seem weak," (as cited in Sagalyn, 2012, p. 1; emphasis added) As of May 2012, 247,243 veterans were seen for potential PTSD at Veterans Health Administration facilities following their return from Iraq or Afghanistan (Veterans Administration [VA], 2012). If the “D” is replaced with and “I”, will this significantly diminish the stigma reported by General Chiarelli? I argue that the stigma is not in the name; the stigma is within and perpetuated by military culture and attitudes towards those who seek treatment for PTSD. As a service member and military mental health army sergeant, I am moved by the conviction of military leaders to take the lead in reducing the stigma of mental health care for those they command. Upon entry into the military, we are programmed to place our confidence, trust, and lives 2 in the hands of our leadership. This...
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...American led globalization of mental health has increased the interest of public health officials and psychiatrists throughout the world. The Cultural and social values, and attitudes of a particular society influence the beliefs that people have about mental illness. The knowledge about mental illness has spread globally, and it has begun to break down some of the barriers between cultures and countries. There has been a substantial increase in research on the stigma related to mental illness; however, the stigmatization of people with mental illness continues to cause discrimination. Stigma, myths and misconceptions lead to discrimination. In addition to the many aspects of discrimination that have been discussed it is important to know that the mentally ill in our society often lose their ability to make decisions. The stigmatizing beliefs concerning mental illness have given the public and lawmakers an opportunity to control the mentally ill. Due to discrimination, the mentally ill have blatantly suffered many human rights violations. Society can improve this situation by continuing their education effort and enforcing legislation in order to help the mentally ill feel more accepted by society. Globalization has increased the communication and interaction of people between countries and cultures; specifically, it has influenced the exchange of ideas concerning mental health. Ethan Watters points out in his article called “The Americanization of Mental Illness” that “For more...
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...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...
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...couple of years before treatment. I didn't know what steps to take at the time, as I was never taught about mental health in school and it was rarely talked about at home. I have been to therapy and taken pills, but the thing that has truly benefited me is gaining more information on what I struggle with and learning how to take care of my mental health in general. Mental health refers to a person’s psychological and emotional well-being. Millions of Americans are affected by mental health conditions...
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...regulatory agency that pertains to my professional nursing practice in the Massachusetts Board of Nursing. “The mission of the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing is to protect the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of the Commonwealth through the fair and consistent application of the statutes and regulations governing nursing practice and nursing education” (Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 2015). A professional organization is defined as an “organization seeking to further a particular profession, the interests of individuals engaged in that profession and the public interest” (Professional association, 2015). A Professional Nursing Organization (PNO) can offer many opportunities for nurses, including continuing education programs and certification in specialty areas of nursing. An example of a PNO pertaining to my professional nursing practice is the American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA). Their mission states that: “The APNA is a professional association organized to advance the science and education of psychiatric-mental health nursing. It is committed to the specialty practice of psychiatric-mental health nursing, health, wellness and recovery promotion through identification of mental health issues, prevention of mental health problems and the care and treatment of persons with psychiatric...
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...stigma and mental illness 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 behaviours 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 which categorizes the symptoms that are used to diagnose mental illness. 8 out of 10 people in Australia who experiences mental disorder will more like will experience stigma, stigma is a the behaviour of people toward people with mental disorders, stigma has been seen on many people, Stigma refers to negative, unfavorable attitudes and the behavior they produce. There are many people who experience mental disorders and when they newly get depression they don't go and ask for professional treatment because they don't want to be labeled and they don't want people calling them names, that is why a lot of people who get depression...
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...Stigma of Mental Illness Mental illness seems more prevalent today than it did in the days of our grandparents and great grandparents. Arguments range many opinions of why this is the case. One argument is that more mental illnesses are recognized today compared to the past. For example, during WWII “Shell Shock” was used to describe the abnormal mental condition affecting all soldiers who experienced traumatic events during war. Psychiatrist didn’t discover Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), until the Vietnam War (Joseph, 2011). Advancements and discovery’s in the field of Psychology today have led to the diagnosis of many mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), bipolar disorder, depression, and others. This led to many questions. Are these conditions over diagnosed? Are these just labels for behaviors not acceptable by society? What stigmas are associated with those affected by these conditions? I think it’s a combination of all of the above. (NAMI, 2016)...
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...Juan Carlos Cruz English 1302 Research Paper 04/16/2015 Stigma among College students with depression and Anxiety There are a lot of illnesses. We go to the doctor, we get medication and some rest to get better; most of the times the disease is gone. However, mental illness is not the same. Once the person is affected, it is not a simple process to get back to an average day. It takes time and the right treatment to get better. .. Mental illness has several symptoms that need to meet in criteria of the DSM V in order to be diagnosed. The website MAYO CLINIC provides the following definition of what a mental illness is: “Mental illness refers to a wide range of mental health conditions — disorders that affect your mood, thinking and behavior. Examples of mental illness include depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, eating disorders and addictive behaviors. Many people have mental health concerns from time to time. But a mental health concern becomes a mental illness when ongoing signs and symptoms cause frequent stress and affect your ability to function. A mental illness can make you miserable and can cause problems in your daily life, such as at work or in relationships. In most cases, symptoms can be managed with a combination of medications and counseling (psychotherapy) (Mayo Clinic,2015)” As the website described, Mental illness must disturb the daily functioning, such as the ability to work, go to school, or the difficulty of doing simple activities...
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...recent health report by the 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...
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...March 20, 2017 Mental Health Policies around the United States Problems and Recommendations: Some solutions of the Mental Health Policies around the United States include: prevention for all, early identification for those suffering or at risk, and recovery as the end goal. As we direct towards the first aspect, Prevention for all, according to the “Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA), approximately 9.3 million adults, or 4% of Americans ages 18 and older, experience serious mental illnesses, conditions that impede day-to-day activities, such as going to work.” (Bekiempis). These individuals are not capable of fully being immersed in their surroundings and instead have a heightened...
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