Honorata Prejudicial Attitudes

The aim of this essay is to apply prejudicial attitudes to Honorata’s case study. Honorata is an African woman, granted asylum in Glasgow, who has been referred to me due to her poor mental health. The essay will begin by exploring prejudices and their relationship with health, whilst relating this to Honorata’s circumstances. It will then look at how these factors are pertinent to my ability, as a mental health nurse, to manage Honorata’s situation.

An insight into the psychological concept of attitudes is vital to understanding prejudice. Attitudes are evaluative reactions towards someone or something, exhibited in one’s beliefs, feelings or conduct. (Myers, 2002). Prejudice can be comprehensively defined as “a learned attitude toward a target

This happens by lowering the victim’s self-esteem, increasing their states of stress through stigmatization, and making them feel excluded and isolated. In regards to the specific prejudices Honorata may have encountered, there is evidence to suggest they are linked to poor health. To begin with, racial discrimination is a complex problem which can directly and indirectly affect the health of individuals and groups. Prejudicial attitudes aimed at people can often develop into self-hatred. Mackenzie (2006) adds to this the idea that perceived racial discrimination is linked to high rates of common mental disorders, including psychosis. In addition to racial prejudices, there is also the chance of ethnic discrimination. Honorata’s status as a former asylum seeker and now an immigrant living in the UK make her susceptible to unfair judgements from others. Quinn (2003) reports that asylum seekers are often victims of harassment, prejudicial attacks and violence; all of which can result in mental illness. Finally, the prospect of Honorata being a victim of stigmatization because of mental health problems can add to her health problems. Knifton (2012) suggests that the combined effects of status loss, rejection from friends, increased stress, and lowered self-esteem can in fact exacerbate the initial mental health problem. There is also Gary’s (2005) theory that people from a minority ethnic group that are suffering from a mental health problem can experience “double stigma”. It is suggested here that a combination of prejudices can affect the person’s health dramatically in addition to reducing the quality of care they receive within a health setting. All of these indications that prejudicial attitudes are linked to health