Public stigmas A public stigma is a set of negative attitudes and beliefs that lead to fear, rejection, avoidance, and discrimination against people with mental health conditions. 9 These public stigmas motivate people in the community to discriminate against or exclude people with mental illness. This means they often have unequal access to various resources. They often experience decreased educational opportunities, difficulty finding employment, lack of community support, and reduced access to quality health care. 10 Long term consequences can result from the lack of access to various resources. Some people with mental illnesses may find themselves the victim of employment discrimination or homelessness because of their condition. Public stigmas also affect people on a more individualized level. For example, stigmatizing beliefs about the ability of people with mental illness to hold a job means that opportunities for their employment are often restricted, whether that is a conscious choice on the part of an employer and an unconscious bias towards hiring anyone who might appear to have a mental illness. The lack of available jobs leads to a decrease in financial stability and autonomy, which in turn reduces self-efficacy. For individuals who have been hospitalized for or have a formal record of their mental illness, these stigmas can often feel insurmountable. Social perceptions and public stigmas play off of one another by setting the context for interactions and expectations. Humans are natural group animals. Our brains prefer that things fit into categories – that includes other humans as well. Stereotypes are the way in which humans categorize and group information about different types of people. Some stereotypes can be beneficial, but the majority of the time they are detrimental to an entire group of people. Negative stereotypes of the mentally ill – for example, claims that they are dangerous or incompetent – hurt the entire group regardless of their individual behavior. Because some mental illnesses have caused a small group of people to act in dangerous or threatening ways, the entire group is penalized through social generalizations. Even though society has created these negative stereotypes, individuals may not necessarily adhere to them. However, those who have attached truth to the negative stereotypes often develop negative feelings toward those who suffer from mental illness. These negative feelings and adverse emotional reactions are prejudices. Out of prejudice comes discrimination, a behavior or act that is a consequence of negative feelings about an entire stigmatized group of people. Self-stigmas A self-stigma is the prejudice that people who have the mental illness turn against themselves. When negative public stigmas and stereotypes are internalized, a host of negative consequences can occur. Endorsing a negative stereotype creates a self-stigma – believing that one is Complications with mental illness Neuropsychiatric disorders are a leading cause of disability in the United States; suicide is the 10th leading cause of death. If mental illness is not treated, it can cause severe emotional, behavioral, and physical health problems. Those who suffer from mental illness often have various complications linked to their diagnosis such as the following:
dangerous because of one's mental illness because the social perception is that all people who suffer from mental illness are dangerous – or thinking that one is afraid of what one might do in the future. Both thoughts, whether or not they are true, lead people to isolate themselves so that they are no longer able to be dangerous. Previously, a person may have never been dangerous, but because of their internalization of these public stereotypes, they have developed a self-stigma. The main problem comes when a person internalizes negative stereotypes; they often have negative social reactions such as low self-esteem or self- isolation. Self-isolating is particularly detrimental to people with mental illness because it can lead to decreased heath and quality of life. People who internalize the stigma of mental illness make their symptoms worse and cause more harm to themselves than they would otherwise. Global stigmas Mental illness varies just as much among individuals as it does among cultures. Various cultural and religious teachings shape beliefs about the origins, attitudes, and health care available for those who suffer from mental illness. In some countries, mental illness is considered a taboo. The victims are believed to suffer from demonic possession or a curse. Witchcraft and evil spirits are to blame in some countries. In other countries, the individual is to blame. The patient is blamed for their inappropriate behavior or inability to conform to social norms. In some cases, mental illness is accompanied by odd or aggressive behavior, behavior that is so far outside the bounds of normal can be frightening for others, thus provoking hatred and fear. The hatred and fear come from the unknown and unpredictable behavior of the patient. And sadly, in countries that are less likely to have facilities and treatment for those who suffer from mental illness, the only options are to segregate them from society to mitigate potential damages. They are often given electroshock therapy, beaten, or simply locked away from the rest of society. Mental health is a global issue, and with that comes stigma, shame, and discrimination in all cultures and countries regardless of their economic and academic advancement. Although the reasons for stigmatization are different in different cultures, the fact is that it does remain. In a recent study, researchers demonstrated that there was a stigma attached to anxiety and mood disorders among adults in 16 different countries, countries in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and the South Pacific. Experiencing embarrassment and discrimination because of their mental illness was seen in 22.1% of participants from developing countries and 11.7% of participants from developed countries. Regrettably, the authors noted that this drastically under-reports the actual extent of stigma associated with mental illness because they evaluated only data on anxiety and mood disorders. 11
● Emotional :
○ Unhappiness. ○ Decreased enjoyment of life. ○ Changes in mood.
○ Erratic thinking. ○ Chronic anxiety. ○ Impulsive actions. ○ Notions of grandeur.
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