What is Mental Illness? By Karen Huang
Mental illness is referred to as a health condition of significant alterations in patterns of emotion, thinking, or behavior that impede an individual’s ability to function at work, school, or navigate interpersonal relationships (American Psychiatric Association, 2024). Although media industries tend to vilify and spread harmful misconceptions on the topic of mental illness, society should adopt and embrace a more positive image of mental illness: such that with time, social support networks, and proper treatment, individuals with mental illness can adopt healthy habits and coping strategies to carry normal life functions. The American Psychiatric Association further supports this claim, as the association states that individuals with mental illness are capable of successfully returning to full functioning in their daily activities, work life, and relationships. When society begins to normalize the topic of mental illness, individuals with mental illnesses may feel more empowered to speak up on a condition, before such conditions worsen. They may seek out more social support and counseling services to speed up their recovery time. However, it should be taken as a precaution that the subject of mental illness is embraced or perceived differently across various cultures. Some cultures may view mental illness as a taboo subject to not be discussed, and other cultures may embrace the subject of mental illness and encourage early treatment.
Despite mental illnesses being treatable, many patients who do seek professional treatment are reluctant to express their symptoms, making it challenging to determine the exact prevalence of mental illnesses (Dattani et al, 2023). What also appears to be a staggering fact is that regardless of a country’s socioeconomic wealth, a vast majority of respondents from across 21 countries have reported not receiving any form of treatment for their mental illness. According to the World Mental Health surveys (2001-2015), 87% of lower-middle-income countries are left untreated for symptoms of anxiety, 80% of upper-middle-income countries are left untreated, and 64% of high-income countries are left untreated (Dattani 2023). Undoubtedly, mental illness is prevalent among all age groups, gender, race, orientation, etc. Millions of individuals worldwide suffer from mental illnesses, with nearly “1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 men” experiencing major depression (Dattani et al, 2023). With these statistics in mind, society should destigmatize and embrace mental illness, to open doors for patients to comfortably express their symptoms to health professionals.
Brief History of the Stigma Around Mental Illness by Melanie Zepeda
Throughout history, mental illness and mental healthcare have received stigma from society, such as in the film and entertainment industry or even in daily conversations that we may be having with other individuals. So what is stigma? Stigma means to mark something with shame, punishment, or disgrace (Economou et al., 2020). By bringing stigma upon something, such as mental illness or the mental health community, you are bringing shame and disappointment towards the topic. This has been done throughout history and even today in our society due to situations such as labeling and incidents with individuals expressing emotional disturbance during social interactions, which have all added to the current social stigma (Economou et al., 2020). However, we continue to strive and work to destigmatize mental illness to better treat and offer resources for those who need mental health care.
Before our beliefs and research on the causes of mental illness today, it was once believed that mental illness was caused by evil spirits possessing individuals, leading them to “insanity”. This led to many violent treatments, such as exorcisms and trephination. Because many people believed individuals with mental illness were “insane”, they were often sent to “mad-houses” and asylums, where their health was often disregarded (Mental Health Care at Kingston, 2014). Reforms for the conditions surrounding the treatment of mentally ill patients occurred and ultimately helped improve the conditions and treatments of the patients, however, the stigma surrounding mental illness continued to follow the mental health community. Movies, such as One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Split, brought a negative image of mentally ill patients by expressing them as violent individuals who have no control over themselves, which ultimately created a bridge between individuals with mental illness being accepted in society due to society’s fear created by this stigma (NAMI Iowa, n.d.).
Although the stigma surrounding mental illness and the mental health community has significantly improved since the 20th Century, modern stigma still surrounds mental illness and the mental health community in ways such as social stigma and self-stigma. Social stigma is a result of society sharing general negative feelings toward the mental health community. This has resulted in the trend of institutionalization and secluding the mentally ill away from the public (Touro University Worldwide, 2015). Self-stigma, which is more commonly noted today, involves negative feelings that you may personally have towards being diagnosed with a mental illness. On many occasions, this may prevent someone from seeking help or admitting that they need help with what they are experiencing.
There are still improvements that we can make to help further destigmatize mental illness, however, we have progressed immensely from prior stigmatization and treatments. As we become more open to receiving treatment for mental illness and educate others about mental health care, we can continue to destigmatize mental illness.
How to Destigmatize Mental Illness by Ariany Baltazar
Whether you know someone with mental illness or experience it yourself, there’s no doubt that there’s a stigma surrounding the mentally ill. Public response when someone gets a concussion or is diagnosed with cancer is typically sympathetic and the majority of physical injuries as well as illnesses are usually never stigmatized (Wake Forest University, 2022). People dealing with mental illness, however, are constantly being viewed in a negative light. Society likes to call them weak, dangerous, and overall poor in character. Not only is there public stigma but some may experience structural stigma, self-stigma, or a combination of these two. Constant hate and derogatory views on the mentally ill greatly affect each individual within that community to the point where many face unemployment, live in very unstable conditions, and are disqualified from health insurance (Shahwan et al., 2022). Knowing that there’s a big burden on the mentally ill, what can we do to combat the stigma, discrimination, and prejudice?
All of the power lies within us since we are the ones who can do something about it. It’s however hard to figure out where/when to start destigmatizing mental health. Oftentimes people immediately jump to the conclusion that one has to attend campaigns and vigorously protest to help destigmatize mental health. That may be the path some individuals take, as specified later, to enact change but even making a small difference within your community at school or work can generate positive results. Anti-sigma awareness starts by educating people on various aspects of mental illness. Whether it be a friend, stranger, or family member, actively communicating with them in a respectful manner about mental illness can spark a change in their view. For example, your aunt comes over and through having a conversation with her, you find out that she deeply thinks people who have mental illness are weak in nature. Instead of arguing with her, you decide to tell her about success stories from people with mental health conditions. It can even be a celebrity who has overcome mental health challenges and strives for a better future. Here, you are giving your aunt an example of how a celebrity, or another individual, was able to foster the strength to overcome and better manage the mental illness they are burdened with. Showcasing mental illness in a different through stories can greatly help the stigma as well as having contact-based interventions. This type of intervention aims to allow brief contact between members of a majority group and a stranger representing the stigmatized population who is different from a naturally occurring contact (Shahwan et al., 2022). This type of communication is more direct in comparison to plainly telling someone a story about a person’s challenges and forthcoming with mental illness. Mental illness stigma here is directly reduced by providing opportunities for people to talk to a stranger with mental illness and see them for who they truthfully are. We are very quick to judge people at times and the assumptions we make about different kinds of individuals aren’t the raw truth, it is based on hate and stigma that society has implanted in us. If you have personal experiences with mental illness and you would like to share them with someone, be vulnerable and showcase who you are as a person. Your voice matters.
There are various other ways to destigmatize mental health that still involve educating people but in a larger and broader context. As mentioned before, attending campaigns and overall advocating to different communities about mental illness allows for more awareness on the topic. Thankfully with social media and a variety of online platforms, your words can reach a variety of people online. Overall, the more people are exposed to the topic of mental illness, the more likely that there will be change over time. You can educate people on mental illness and mental health issues so they can better understand these topics within marathons or other public events (Wake Forest University, 2022). Even speaking with people who deal with mental health issues directly goes a long way. It is important to show empathy and compassion to people who are dealing with mental illness and also encourage them to get professional help.
If you are personally dealing with mental health issues or even if someone you know is struggling, be very kind to yourself and others. The burdens that we carry as human beings do not define us. It is how we deal with and manage our burdens that matters the most. It takes a lot of strength, courage, and humbleness to acknowledge that you need help. So, never once doubt that you are weak despite what society is telling you because great strength comes from how you continue to push forward against what is holding you down.
What is the Mental Health Community Doing to Destigmatize Mental Illness? By Amanda Chen
Various mental health organizations provide people with the support and community they need to better their mental well-being. It is important to know that efforts in destigmatizing mental illness involve educating others to raise awareness, understanding mental health conditions, and confronting stigma. An essential first step in this journey involves evaluating and understanding one’s own attitudes toward mental illnesses. (CAMH)
Individuals may first turn towards trusted community leaders after facing a mental health challenge. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) mentions how communities and leaders could take action against the stigmas of mental illness:
Education: promoting awareness of mental health issues
Organize meetings and gatherings to have conversations surrounding mental illness
Sharing facts and myths on mental illness
Promoting acceptance: influencing better attitude and understanding of those experiencing mental health conditions
Inclusivity
Fostering opportunities through trust
Creating a supportive environment for people to feel comfortable to share their experiences
For communities to go on the right path toward destigmatizing mental illness, there are important steps of advocacy, education, and support to create and foster a welcoming community and to provide resources for those in need. Learn more about what communities and leaders can do to support those facing mental health challenges and destigmatize mental illness on the SAMHSA website: samhsa.gov/mental-health
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is one of the largest mental health associations in the U.S., and this nonprofit organization is dedicated to raising awareness of mental health issues and providing support and education to communities that may not have easy access to them. According to Dr. Ken Duckworth Chief Medical Officer with NAMI in an interview on “Destigmatizing mental health”, 87% of people diagnosed with mood disorders say stigma is a major barrier to treatment, thus demonstrating how stigma on top of accessibility issues is a major challenge in seeking help. (WUSA). NAMI’s efforts to destigmatize mental illnesses include:
Access to help and resources:
NAMI Helpline: 1-800-950-NAMI
Text “NAMI” to 741741
Creating a stigma-free workplace environment in various companies
Collaborating and partnering with industry leaders and organizations to prioritize their employees’ mental health and well-being by engaging with NAMI’s StigmaFree Workplace Advisory Council.
Council members include: Google, Adobe, Bank of America, Hostess, and more
Research scientist Charu Aggarwal mentions how promoting mental health for everyone should include all communities, and how South Asian communities are often not addressed in the topics surrounding mental health. According to Aggarwal, this issue is due to collectivism, where there is prioritization of the community or group over the individual. NAMI advances this issue through mental health outreach towards South Asian communities:
Community Conversation initiative Chai & Chat: uniting communities by providing the opportunity to have open conversations about generational trauma, inequities in health care accessibility, and family and community pressures
Communities and organizations destigmatize mental illness by addressing the effects of stigma, educating others on stigma in all communities, providing resources and information to those facing challenges, and reaching out to industry leaders to enforce mental health awareness in the workplace.
References
Addressing stigma. CAMH. (n.d.). https://www.camh.ca/en/driving-change/addressing-stigma
Aggarwal, C. (2024, March 25). Mental Health Outreach to the South Asian Community. NAMI. https://www.nami.org/mmham/mental-health-outreach-to-the-south-asian-community/
Breaking America’s Mental Health Stigma. Touro University Worldwide. (2015).
Dattani, S., & Roser, M. (2024, March 18). How do researchers study the prevalence of mental illnesses?. Our World in Data. https://ourworldindata.org/how-do-researchers-study-the-prevalence-of-mental-illnesses#article-citation
Dattani, S., Rodés-Guirao, L., Ritchie, H., & Roser, M. (2023, December 28). Mental health. Our World in Data. https://ourworldindata.org/mental-health#article-citation
Destigmatizing mental health | September is National Suicide Prevention Month. (n.d.).
Economou, M., Bechraki, A., & Charitsi, M. (2020). The stigma of mental illness: A historical
overview and conceptual approaches. Psychiatrike = Psychiatriki.
For community and faith leaders. SAMHSA. (n.d.).
Homepage. NAMI. (2024, May 1). https://www.nami.org/
How One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest Hurt Mental Health. NAMI Iowa. (n.d.).
Leading companies pledge to be StigmaFree with NAMI. NAMI. (2023, December 21).
Mental health: Tracing the history of stigma. Museum of Health Care Blog. (2014).
Shahwan, S., Goh, C. M. J., Tan, G. T. H., Ong, W. J., Chong, S. A., & Subramaniam, M. (2022). Strategies to Reduce Mental Illness Stigma: Perspectives of People with Lived Experience and Caregivers. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(3), 1632. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19031632
Wake Forest University. (2022, November 30). Destigmatizing Mental Health: The Impact of Public Figures | WFU Online. WFU Online Counseling. https://counseling.online.wfu.edu/blog/destigmatizing-mental-health/
What is Mental Illness?. Psychiatry.org - What is Mental Illness? (n.d.). https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/what-is-mental-illness
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