Mental Illness Stigma Research Paper
The Mental Illness Stigma
Imagine if our society blamed people for being diagnosed with cancer, claiming it was their life choices that had led to such a terrible disease. Sounds horrifying, right? Imagine putting that added burden, that shame, on someone who is fighting for their life. This happens every day though, not to victims of cancer, but to victims of mental illness. Despite the fact that one in four Americans suffers from some form of mental illness, people suffering from mental illness are continually stigmatized and ostracized by society (Ungar). This stigma causes severe harm by dehumanizing those who have mental disorders, making it harder for the mentally ill to admit their symptoms to others and seek treatment, and making …show more content…
people think those who have mental disorders are inherently dangerous and that all people who suffer from them commit crimes.
There are numerous ways in which people who suffer from a mental illness are degraded and shamed.
One primary method that most people don’t even consider is the fact that people are often referred to as a “schizophrenic” rather than “someone who has schizophrenia” or state that someone “is depressed” instead of “has depression” (Mayo Clinic Staff). The effect of this is to make it seem as if the fact that a person suffers from a mental disorder negates their humanity. It makes it seem as if the disorder is all encompassing and makes them less than human, when this is not the case. Overall, research indicates there are three main themes of prejudicial attitudes against those who have mental disorders: fear and exclusion, authoritarianism, and benevolence. The first theme is the idea that people with severe mental illness should be feared and kept out of most communities. Authoritarianism is the concept that people who have mental disorders are irresponsible and so need life decisions to be made by others, while benevolence is thinking that persons with severe mental illness are infantile and need to be cared for (Corrigan and Watson). The common element connecting all three themes is the basic idea that people who have a mental illness are somehow “less” than people who do not. In all three themes, people with the mental disorder are subject to being ostracized, shamed, and looked down upon for something that they did not …show more content…
cause.
Additionally, surveys show that people who have no personal experience with a mental disorder admit to feeling uncomfortable dating or having as a neighbor someone who has a mental disorder. There is also the belief that people diagnosed with mental illnesses can never be “normal” or function as a productive member of society (“Stigma and Mental Illness”). This, however, is yet another myth perpetuated by the mental illness stigma. It is attitudes and prejudices similar to this one that has led to federal funding for mental hospitals and care often being one of the first things to be cut from the budget. This then leads to a vicious cycle which continues the stigma; since less care is available for those with mental disorders, they have trouble dealing with their disorders and functioning as a part of society, which then leads to the belief that the mentally ill cannot and never will be “normal.”
Yet another detriment caused by this stigma is the difficulties the mentally ill face in order to admit their symptoms and seek treatment. Those who suffer from mental illness or suspect they have one avoid seeking treatment for fear of being labeled “crazy” and out of shame (“Stigma and Mental Illness”). Less than one third of adults with a diagnosable mental disorder receive mental health services per year, as reported by the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Furthermore, some with mental illnesses isolate themselves or are abandoned by friends and family, experts say (Ungar). This is due to the stigma and shame that surrounds mental illness, mostly the idea that mental illness is somehow a character defect caused by the person’s upbringing or their attitude. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, people would rather tell employers that they committed a petty crime and served time in prison rather than admit to being admitted to a psychiatric hospital. Thus, people would rather be thought to be a convicted felon, than someone who suffered from a severe mental illness that required treatment, yet committed no crime. It is this attitude that makes it difficult for people with mental illnesses to seek treatment, and for physicians and doctors to discuss mental illness with a patient.
It has also led to trend in Congress to cut funding for mental hospitals, so that those who do seek treatment have limited access to the care they need. This has then led to less access to medical care for those who do seek treatment or those who need treatment being unable to afford it, often due to lack of insurance (Ungar). This has led to those who cannot obtain their medication being unable to hold down a job and ending up homeless and committing petty crimes, such as theft, in order to garner necessities. Due to this, prisons have now become the new asylums for the mentally ill, and are unequipped to provide for them.
It is these problems that have led to the prevalent idea that those who have mental disorders are inherently dangerous and commit crimes. This perception has worsened after the Newton, Connecticut mass shooting due to the major publicity about the shooter’s possible mental illness being a large factor (Ungar). This is an example of the stigma, and ignores the other factors present that led to the shooting, such as youth, socioeconomic status, and the prevalence of violence in the media. A mass shooter’s mental illness is often used as a scapegoat to ignore other factors and to show that the shooter wasn’t “normal.” While it is understandable to want to distance ourselves as human beings from a person capable of such atrocities, this tactic of blaming the mental disorder perpetuates the idea that the mentally ill are likely to commit such acts. This is most certainly not the case. While a quarter of a Americans suffer from a mental illness, only five percent of crimes are committed by those who are mentally ill (Ungar). This is a lower rate than juvenile offenders, who commit thirteen percent of crimes, but make up only six percent of the United States population (Anthony and Hemmens, 198). Furthermore, few of the crimes actually committed by those with mental disorders are violent or dangerous; most are petty crimes caused by their symptoms or socioeconomic situation (Jorm). The reality is people who have mental disorders are more likely to be victims of crimes than perpetrators since people view them as unsafe and thus are more likely to react violently (Ungar).
So, what can be done to rectify such a damaging stigma that ultimately harms our society as a whole, not just those it directly affects?
According to Patrick Corrigan and Amy Watson, there are three main approaches to eliminating the stigma: protest, education, and contact. Protest involves groups actively challenging incorrect and hostile portrayals of mental illness, in effect sending two messages. One is to the media to stop reporting inaccurate accounts of mental illness and the other is to the public to stop believing the negative views spread by the media. While protests are helpful in detracting stigma, there is little evidence indicating them being entirely effective. This could be because protest only tries to diminish negative attitudes and does not promote positive attitudes. Education, on the other hand, provides information so the public is more informed. Studies indicate that people who have a better understanding of mental illness are less likely to support and spread discrimination. Lastly, having the general public meet people with mental illness who are able to function in society further diminishes stigma. Research shows that having contact with a person with mental illness lowers stigma (Corrigan and
Watson).
In conclusion, the stigma of mental illness harms society by degrading people who suffer from mental disorders, causing the idea of being mentally ill to be shameful or embarrassing, and promoting the idea that the mentally ill are intrinsically criminal or hazardous. This is shown by the general feeling of discomfort felt by most Americans around people with mental disorders and the lack of federal funding for mental hospitals, along with the media’s focus on mental illness as a factor in crime (Ungar). Despite the prevalence of this stigma, there are various tactics that can be used to reduce it and change the general public’s attitude, such as protests, education, and contact. The only way that the stigma can truly be eradicated, though, is to treat mental illnesses like what they are: an illness.
Imagine if our society blamed people for being diagnosed with cancer, claiming it was their life choices that had led to such a terrible disease. Sounds horrifying, right? Imagine putting that added burden, that shame, on someone who is fighting for their life. This happens every day though, not to victims of cancer, but to victims of mental illness. Despite the fact that one in four Americans suffers from some form of mental illness, people suffering from mental illness are continually stigmatized and ostracized by society (Ungar). This stigma causes severe harm by dehumanizing those who have mental disorders, making it harder for the mentally ill to admit their symptoms to others and seek treatment, and making …show more content…
people think those who have mental disorders are inherently dangerous and that all people who suffer from them commit crimes.
There are numerous ways in which people who suffer from a mental illness are degraded and shamed.
One primary method that most people don’t even consider is the fact that people are often referred to as a “schizophrenic” rather than “someone who has schizophrenia” or state that someone “is depressed” instead of “has depression” (Mayo Clinic Staff). The effect of this is to make it seem as if the fact that a person suffers from a mental disorder negates their humanity. It makes it seem as if the disorder is all encompassing and makes them less than human, when this is not the case. Overall, research indicates there are three main themes of prejudicial attitudes against those who have mental disorders: fear and exclusion, authoritarianism, and benevolence. The first theme is the idea that people with severe mental illness should be feared and kept out of most communities. Authoritarianism is the concept that people who have mental disorders are irresponsible and so need life decisions to be made by others, while benevolence is thinking that persons with severe mental illness are infantile and need to be cared for (Corrigan and Watson). The common element connecting all three themes is the basic idea that people who have a mental illness are somehow “less” than people who do not. In all three themes, people with the mental disorder are subject to being ostracized, shamed, and looked down upon for something that they did not …show more content…
cause.
Additionally, surveys show that people who have no personal experience with a mental disorder admit to feeling uncomfortable dating or having as a neighbor someone who has a mental disorder. There is also the belief that people diagnosed with mental illnesses can never be “normal” or function as a productive member of society (“Stigma and Mental Illness”). This, however, is yet another myth perpetuated by the mental illness stigma. It is attitudes and prejudices similar to this one that has led to federal funding for mental hospitals and care often being one of the first things to be cut from the budget. This then leads to a vicious cycle which continues the stigma; since less care is available for those with mental disorders, they have trouble dealing with their disorders and functioning as a part of society, which then leads to the belief that the mentally ill cannot and never will be “normal.”
Yet another detriment caused by this stigma is the difficulties the mentally ill face in order to admit their symptoms and seek treatment. Those who suffer from mental illness or suspect they have one avoid seeking treatment for fear of being labeled “crazy” and out of shame (“Stigma and Mental Illness”). Less than one third of adults with a diagnosable mental disorder receive mental health services per year, as reported by the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Furthermore, some with mental illnesses isolate themselves or are abandoned by friends and family, experts say (Ungar). This is due to the stigma and shame that surrounds mental illness, mostly the idea that mental illness is somehow a character defect caused by the person’s upbringing or their attitude. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, people would rather tell employers that they committed a petty crime and served time in prison rather than admit to being admitted to a psychiatric hospital. Thus, people would rather be thought to be a convicted felon, than someone who suffered from a severe mental illness that required treatment, yet committed no crime. It is this attitude that makes it difficult for people with mental illnesses to seek treatment, and for physicians and doctors to discuss mental illness with a patient.
It has also led to trend in Congress to cut funding for mental hospitals, so that those who do seek treatment have limited access to the care they need. This has then led to less access to medical care for those who do seek treatment or those who need treatment being unable to afford it, often due to lack of insurance (Ungar). This has led to those who cannot obtain their medication being unable to hold down a job and ending up homeless and committing petty crimes, such as theft, in order to garner necessities. Due to this, prisons have now become the new asylums for the mentally ill, and are unequipped to provide for them.
It is these problems that have led to the prevalent idea that those who have mental disorders are inherently dangerous and commit crimes. This perception has worsened after the Newton, Connecticut mass shooting due to the major publicity about the shooter’s possible mental illness being a large factor (Ungar). This is an example of the stigma, and ignores the other factors present that led to the shooting, such as youth, socioeconomic status, and the prevalence of violence in the media. A mass shooter’s mental illness is often used as a scapegoat to ignore other factors and to show that the shooter wasn’t “normal.” While it is understandable to want to distance ourselves as human beings from a person capable of such atrocities, this tactic of blaming the mental disorder perpetuates the idea that the mentally ill are likely to commit such acts. This is most certainly not the case. While a quarter of a Americans suffer from a mental illness, only five percent of crimes are committed by those who are mentally ill (Ungar). This is a lower rate than juvenile offenders, who commit thirteen percent of crimes, but make up only six percent of the United States population (Anthony and Hemmens, 198). Furthermore, few of the crimes actually committed by those with mental disorders are violent or dangerous; most are petty crimes caused by their symptoms or socioeconomic situation (Jorm). The reality is people who have mental disorders are more likely to be victims of crimes than perpetrators since people view them as unsafe and thus are more likely to react violently (Ungar).
So, what can be done to rectify such a damaging stigma that ultimately harms our society as a whole, not just those it directly affects?
According to Patrick Corrigan and Amy Watson, there are three main approaches to eliminating the stigma: protest, education, and contact. Protest involves groups actively challenging incorrect and hostile portrayals of mental illness, in effect sending two messages. One is to the media to stop reporting inaccurate accounts of mental illness and the other is to the public to stop believing the negative views spread by the media. While protests are helpful in detracting stigma, there is little evidence indicating them being entirely effective. This could be because protest only tries to diminish negative attitudes and does not promote positive attitudes. Education, on the other hand, provides information so the public is more informed. Studies indicate that people who have a better understanding of mental illness are less likely to support and spread discrimination. Lastly, having the general public meet people with mental illness who are able to function in society further diminishes stigma. Research shows that having contact with a person with mental illness lowers stigma (Corrigan and
Watson).
In conclusion, the stigma of mental illness harms society by degrading people who suffer from mental disorders, causing the idea of being mentally ill to be shameful or embarrassing, and promoting the idea that the mentally ill are intrinsically criminal or hazardous. This is shown by the general feeling of discomfort felt by most Americans around people with mental disorders and the lack of federal funding for mental hospitals, along with the media’s focus on mental illness as a factor in crime (Ungar). Despite the prevalence of this stigma, there are various tactics that can be used to reduce it and change the general public’s attitude, such as protests, education, and contact. The only way that the stigma can truly be eradicated, though, is to treat mental illnesses like what they are: an illness.