Mental health stigma
Mental health stigma refers to the negative beliefs and prejudices that society holds against individuals with mental health conditions. This stigma can manifest in two main forms: social stigma, which encompasses societal attitudes and treatment of those with mental illnesses, and perceived stigma, or self-stigma, where individuals internalize negative perceptions about their condition. Mental illnesses, which can include disorders such as depression, bipolar disorder, and PTSD, affect approximately one in five adult Americans annually, disrupting various aspects of life, including education, employment, and personal relationships.
The consequences of mental health stigma are significant, leading to discrimination and a reluctance to seek necessary treatment due to embarrassment or shame. Misunderstandings about mental illness, often perpetuated by media portrayals, exacerbate these issues by promoting harmful stereotypes. Although efforts are underway to address stigma through public education and legislative measures, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, stigma remains prevalent. Experts emphasize that education is a crucial tool in combating this issue, as increasing awareness can help reduce fear and prejudice, encouraging individuals to seek help without fear of judgment.
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Mental health stigma
Stigma is a set of negative beliefs that people hold about another individual or group of individuals. Mental health stigma is a set of negative, and often unfair, prejudices about people who suffer from mental health conditions.
A mental illness is a medical condition that interferes with a person's ability to think, feel, function, express moods and emotions, and relate to other people. Some examples of mental illness include bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), seasonal affective disorder (SAD), and schizophrenia. Mental illness affects a large range of people, regardless of age, race, income, and more. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, approximately one in five adult Americans experience some form of mental illness in a given year. Most mental illnesses have no cure but are treatable with a combination of medication and therapy programs administered by mental health professionals.
Two types of mental health stigmas exist: social and perceived stigma. Social stigma is the way society feels about, labels, and treats those with mental health conditions. Perceived, or self-stigma, is the shame felt by an individual suffering from a mental health disorder. Mental health stigma causes numerous problems for those with mental illness.
Impact
Mental illness impacts every part of a person's life, from education to employment, physical health, and social relationships. Mental illness not only hurts the people with the mental health condition but also their families, friends, coworkers, and even strangers. Many people with mental illness do not seek treatment because of the embarrassment they feel about their conditions. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, only 46.2 percent of US adults with a mental illness had received treatment in 2020.
Many people are not properly educated about mental illness, leading to social stigma. Throughout history, people with mental health issues have been mistreated and excluded from society. Some even believed affected people were possessed by demons or spirits, causing further fear of these individuals. This miseducation has been spread by a variety of sources, including the media and entertainment industry, which sometimes provide incorrect information about mental illness and portray those with mental illness in a negative light.
Mental health stigma leads to stereotyping and discrimination that can have dire effects on people with mental health conditions. For example, a person suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder may have problems obtaining employment because potential employers might base their decision not to hire the individual solely on the perceived issues surrounding the person's condition, without even considering more important aspects such as the person's education or experience.
Mental health stigma leads people to perceive those with mental health conditions as dangerous and unpredictable. Studies have shown that people fear those with certain illnesses such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. Notably, the increased frequency of mass shootings in the United States in the twenty-first century led many media outlets and other commentators to make the assumption that mental illness is linked with violence because some of the attackers have been found to have had a mental health condition. Some people even think those with mental health conditions are responsible for their illnesses, and falsely suggest that some conditions, such as eating disorders or drug dependencies, are self-inflicted and can be cured simply by stopping the behaviors.
Social stigmas can also cause medical professionals to focus less on the patients themselves. In addition, studies have shown that a wide range of people have a negative view of those with mental illness. This is regardless of whether people know someone personally with mental illness—including friends and family—or if people are knowledgeable or experienced with mental health.
These social stigmas can cause people afflicted with mental health conditions to suffer from perceived stigma. Also called self-stigma, this causes people to feel negative thoughts about themselves. They may think they cannot recover or are not deserving of treatment. They may think "why try" and, as a result, forgo needed treatment or stop taking medication to control their illnesses. Perceived stigma can lead people to believe they are dangerous and are somehow to blame for their illnesses. These feelings can be detrimental to the individual and can lead to low self-esteem, shame, and embarrassment, and even cause isolation or suicide.
Addressing Mental Health Stigma
Mental health care providers have addressed the stigmas surrounding mental health conditions. They have sought to educate the public about mental illness to reduce stereotypes and discrimination. Positive public perception of mental health can help people suffering from mental health conditions seek treatment without feelings of embarrassment or shame.
In addition, the US government has helped to combat the social stigma of mental illness by adopting legislation such as the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Mental Health Parity Act of 1996, Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act, Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008, and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010. These laws have served to protect people suffering from mental illnesses by preventing discrimination from employers, educational institutions, businesses, the government, the courts, law enforcement, the health care industry, and more.
Despite these measures, mental health stigma still exists. Most experts suggest that the best tool to fight the problem is education. If people are educated about mental illness, this will help to reduce the fear and negative feelings associated with these types of conditions and diminish discrimination and prejudice. Many people and organizations continue to speak out about mental illness to help educate others about the stigma and its negative effects on those suffering from mental conditions.
Bibliography
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Davey, Graham C.L. "Mental Health & Stigma." Psychology Today, 20 Aug. 2013, www.psychologytoday.com/blog/why-we-worry/201308/mental-health-stigma. Accessed 2 Feb. 2015.
"Mental Health by the Numbers." National Alliance on Mental Illness, June 2022, www.nami.org/mhstats. Accessed 31 Oct. 2022.
"Mental Health: Overcoming the Stigma of Mental Illness." Mayo Clinic, 24 May 2017, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mental-illness/in-depth/mental-health/art-20046477. Accessed 31 Oct. 2022.
"Reducing Stigma." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 22 July 2021, www.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/stress-coping/reduce-stigma/index.html. Accessed 31 Oct. 2022.
Szabo, Liz. "Cost of Not Caring: Stigma Set in Stone: Mentally Ill Suffer in Sick Health System." USA Today, www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/06/25/stigma-of-mental-illness/9875351/. Accessed 2 Feb. 2015.
Vintiadis, Elly. "Mass Shooting and the Myth of the Violent Mentally Ill." Psychology Today, 18 Feb. 2018, www.psychologytoday.com/blog/minding-the-mind/201802/mass-shooting-and-the-myth-the-violent-mentally-ill. Accessed 27 Feb. 2018.