The Stigma Of Mental Health

848 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Stigma in mental health essay

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that one in every four people suffer from a mental health issue at some point in their lives, yet only two thirds of those people seek help. Why? The answer is simple; these victims get stigmatized for admitting they have a problem. But what is stigma? Well, stigma is defined as: “a mark of disgrace associated with certain circumstances.” stigma is most notable for people going through mental health issues, like anxiety, depression and ADHD, among other disorders. The stigma associated with mental health is affecting societies and communities in negative ways and should be actively combated by governments, NGO’s, and people. However, this issue is controversial, as many skeptics claim that mental disorders do not exist. However, they have been proven wrong. Stigma is a barrier for treatment and is harmful to society, as well as being a sign of a toxic community. The biggest obstacle in the goal to eradicate mental health stigma is that many people aren’t aware of what a mental disorders are, and how commonly they occur. Many people associate people with mental illness (also called psychological disorders) as “crazy” or “insane”. However, these disorders can be as simple as attention and hyperactivity problems (ADHD), stress disorders, and depression. There are of course more serious issues like bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia, but even those can be handled with proper methods of medication and therapeutic assistance. These disorders can also vary in intensity, doctors will often use words like extreme, or mild to identify the effect of the disorder on the person. Also, more often than not, people’s experiences with these disorders vary. Mental Illness has been identified a long... ... middle of paper ... ...s and poor physical health, in order for that to change, we need to tackle mental health issues, and eliminating stigma is the first step towards this goal. Even if you don’t suffer from stigma, it can have a large indirect impact on your life. Mental health is one of the largest ignored issues of today. It is affecting large and small communities around the world. Mental health skeptics really are pushing the world back, and until this issue is no longer, we can’t be expected to move forward as a people. Everyday people are mourning someone who has chosen to take their own life as a result of mental illness, yet what are we doing to combat it? Every year one million people take their own lives, and suicide is one of the leading causes of death for young people. Until we can make help accessible and desirable to whoever needs it, these figures will not decrease.

Show More
Related

  • Girl Interrupted And American Horror Story: Insane Asylum

    1971 Words  | 4 Pages

    The stigma and negative associations that go with mental illness have been around as long as mental illness itself has been recognized. As society has advanced, little changes have been made to the deep-rooted ideas that go along with psychological disorders. It is clearly seen throughout history that people with mental illness are discriminated against, cast out of society, and deemed “damaged”. They are unable to escape the stigma that goes along with their illness, and are often left to defend themselves in a world that is not accepting of differences in people. Society needs to realize what it is doing, and how it is affecting these people who are affected with mental illness.

    Read More

  • Stigma In One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

    1679 Words  | 4 Pages

    Stigma is associating negative qualities with having a mental illness. Someone who is mentally ill may be wrongly viewed or view themselves as being weak or “damaged,” leading to feelings of shame or embarrassment. It is a huge barrier that may prevent people with mental illness and their family from seeking out help. Stigma is overall a specific diagnostic sign of a disease (Webster dictionary). According to the Connecticut Department of Mental Health And Addiction Services, it is stated that many people with either a diagnosed or undiagnosed mental illness don’t want to seek help because they don’t want to be labeled as “mentally ill” or “crazy.” No one should be mistreated because they were born different. Whether physical, behavioral

    Read More

  • Pros And Cons Of Dsm

    507 Words  | 2 Pages

    What stigma-plagued people of society need to realize is that having a mental disorder is not a personal choice, nor is it something that someone can control. In addition to this, a person with a mental disorder, depending on how mild to severe it is, can easily migrate back into society with little to no issues. Another good way to reduce some of the stigma in society is to teach the important of education concerning these mental disorders. Unless one takes a psychology class or plans on entering the psychology field, the chances of people having heard of these mental disorders is slim to none. It is often difficult for people to relate or empathize with something that they know little to nothing about. Organizations and rallies about mental disorders not only raise awareness, but help people in society to gain a better knowledge of these disorders. A person who knows nothing will understand nothing, which is where the basis for stigmas begin to appear. With the proper education and social awareness about these disorders, the stigmas in society can be vastly

    Read More

  • The Stigma Of Mental Illness

    934 Words  | 2 Pages

    The discussion of mental health is slowly being brought to the social surface to create a more inclusive society for those dealing with a mental illness. However, those with a mental illness are continuously being affected by stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination by those who simply don’t comprehend the complexity of the human brain (Glaser, G.2017). As more people become mental health activist, they are exposing the plethora of issues surrounding the overall mental and physical stability of those who are negatively affected by the social construct of what it means to be normal.

    Read More

  • What Is Mental Health As A Social Justice Issue?

    1266 Words  | 3 Pages

    In today’s society, the stigma around mental health has caused many people to fear seeking medical treatment for problems they are dealing with. With an abundance of hateful outlooks and stereotypical labels such as: crazy, psycho, and dangerous, it is clear that people with a mental illness have a genuine reason to avoid pursuing medical treatments. Along with mental health stigma, psychiatric facilities that patients with a mental health issue attend in order to receive treatment obtain an excessive amount of unfavorable stereotypes.

    Read More

  • Public Stigma In Mental Health Literacy

    1634 Words  | 4 Pages

    Mental health literacy, similar to health literacy, provides information about mental health disorders and how to aid their management, awareness, and prevention (Wei). There are two main stigmas seen in the mental health community: public stigma and self-stigma. Both of these stigmas are detrimental to the strides being made in the mental health community. Within ethnic minority communities and the mental health community, stigmatisms and misconceptions associated with mental illness negatively impact people who suffer from such issues. In order to prevent unnecessary deaths and tragic suicide attempts, minority communities and the mental health community must work together to raise awareness and destigmatize mental illness.

    Read More

  • Graham Davey's 'Mental Health And Stigma'

    847 Words  | 2 Pages

    By linking all the credible studies and researches, Davey states that stigma has negative impacts on the mental health sufferers and also the society; and thus those effects are the “reasons for attempting to eradicate mental health stigma and ensure that social inclusion is facilitated and recovery can be efficiently achieved” (Davey).

    Read More

  • Mental Health: The Stigma On Mental Illness

    1389 Words  | 3 Pages

    “I was feeling really depressed yesterday.” “She looks so anorexic.” “I’m really OCD about my room.” “My boyfriend is acting so bipolar.” We all hear variations of these sentences daily and may even use them ourselves. Although it is not intended to cause harm to anyone, mental illness should not be phrased as adjectives. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) says that one in five Americans has a mental illness but those seeking help are not taken as seriously as they would be if they were exhibiting a physical health problem. According to the NHS Human Services, “92 percent of people with physical health problems receive the treatment they need, but by comparison, only 26 percent of people with mental

    Read More

  • Mental Health Stigma and the Healthcare System

    2062 Words  | 5 Pages

    The mental health stigma has become a prevalent issue in the world of medical care. It can prevent people from receiving proper medical care and the quality of care people may receive. Stigma is defined as members of groups who violate the norms established by the dominant or privileged group and, as such, are marked as deviant (Jr. and Kite). Stigma can also lead to discrimination. The way we can try and diminish the severity of the stigma is to create transparency and openness about mental illness. Seeing that people are not defined by their disorder and can be successful regardless of the diagnosis. That they are not defined by their diagnosis they just have and suffer with the disorder. Also promoting education about mental health issues can diminish the myths about these issues thus lessening the amount of stigma. I have seen instances on our own campus in which they could have promoted counseling and mental health among the student body. I think the staff body could have took a more proactive approach to mental health. Instead of waiting until after students committed suicide and trying to fix the problem they could actively be promoting it regardless of the instances on the university campus. There are two different types of stigma; public and self-stigma. These stigmas can have different effects on the individual. Everyone has mental health and raising awareness about it and eliminating the stigma can help the world learn how to discuss and change this problem.

    Read More

  • Mental Illness and Facilities

    1626 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...., et al. “The ‘Backbone’ of Stigma: Identifying the Global Core of Public Prejudice Associated With Mental Illness.” American Journal of Public Health 103.5 (2013): 853-860. Business Source Premier. Web. 3 Feb. 2014.

    Read More

  • Stigma In Mental Health

    1225 Words  | 3 Pages

    Stigmatization of mental health and suicide is a major problem which affects patients and their caregivers around the world. The stigma leads to negative behavior and stereotyping towards the person with mental illness. This causes the person affected by this to fell rejection and to feel shame about their condition. All the stigma leads to underreporting, and data collection methods that is critical to suicide prevention that needs to be improved. So with this the number for mental health and suicide is much higher then what is reported. Mental health is a worldwide issue that no one understands and an issue that

    Read More

  • The Mental Health Stigma in our Society

    1157 Words  | 3 Pages

    Most commonly, people are stated to be “depressed” rather than someone who “has depression”. It is a common perception that mental illnesses are not a priority when it comes to Government spending, just as it is forgotten that most mental health disorders can be treated and lead a normal life if treatment is successful. The effect of this makes a sufferer feel embarrassed and dehumanized. A common perception is that they should be feared or looked down upon for something they have not caused. People experience stigma as a barrier that can affect nearly every aspect of life—limiting opportunities for employment, housing and education, causing the loss of family and friends.... ...

    Read More

  • Stigma In Health Care Essay

    428 Words  | 1 Pages

    The World Health Organization (2017) cited stigma as the most significant barrier to seeking psychological services despite advancement in treatment for mental health conditions. This reinforces the statement made by Corrigan (2004) who postulated that the stigma placed on mental illness alone is sufficient to deter help seeking among the general population. Blaine (2006) explained that stigma includes the perception of being defected and fear of being ostracized or rejected. Research has demonstrated that there is a significant negative relationship between stigma and attitude towards seeking professional help. Corrigan (2004) asserted that there are two separate types of stigma affecting an individual's decision to seek treatment. The first, public stigma is the expectation that they will be devalued or be discriminated against because seeking help is socially

    Read More

  • Mental Stigma Essay

    1310 Words  | 3 Pages

    People with a mental illness are often feared and rejected by society. This occurs because of the stigma of mental illness. The stigma of mental illness causes the perception of individuals with mental illnesses to be viewed as being dangerous and insane. They are viewed and treated in a negative way. They are almost seen as being less of a human. The stigma affects the individual with a mental illness in such a cruel way. The individual cannot even seek help without the fear of being stigmatized by their loved ones or the general public. The stigma even leads to some individuals developing self-stigma. This means having a negative perception of one’s self, such as viewing one’s self as being dangerous. The worst part is that the effects of

    Read More

  • What Is Mental Health Education Essay

    1144 Words  | 3 Pages

    Mass media “references to people with mental health problems found more than four in ten articles in the press used derogatory terms about mental health and nearly half of press coverage related mental illness to violence and crime” (Esseler, 244). This is causing for people to look down upon the mention of mental illnesses and many times ignore the importance of confronting this issue. Therefore the importance of removing this stigmatization is crucial. Education allows to make more informed decisions and then changing the perception of mental illness can lead towards policy changes toward the improvement of mental health (Sakellari,

    Read More

More about The Stigma Of Mental Health

Open Document