There is a significant need to create awareness of mental health and stigma associated with mental illnesses because most mentally ill people are at risk of harboring suicidal thoughts. Mental illness awareness campaigns help in preventing people suffering from mental illnesses from resorting to suicide as their only option. Although the society viewed suicide from a negative perspective and people suffering from mental illnesses were not cared for in the past decades, recent decades has seen an increase in anti-stigma awareness campaigns which have educated the public on the importance of helping the mentally ill to enable the move away from suicidal attempts (Hanisch et al., 2016). However, significant barriers still exist because the society is finding it difficult to accept suicide as a product of untreated mental or psychological conditions. Other social groups consider suicide as a sin that deserves a harsh punishment. Also, some groups of people believe suicide is an act of weakness and selfishness. This piece analyzed in this essay portrays the stigma of mental illness as a risk factor of suicide. Thus, this essay analyzes the purpose, effectiveness, and the overall impact of the media piece.
Purpose of the Media Piece
The purpose of the media piece is to create awareness about the negative impact of stigmatizing people suffering from mental illnesses. The media piece illustrates someone whose mouth is covered by suicidal inscriptions. Also, the phrase, “All I wanted was someone to understand my problems” shows that the general publics do not understand the problems associated with mental illnesses. As a result, people end up discriminating against people suffering from mental illnesses stigmatizing them thereby making them to commit suicide.
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Research has shown that mental health challenges are associated with a great deal of stigma in the contemporary society (Hanisch et al., 2016). Public awareness campaigns help in educating people on the potential dangers of discriminating against or stigmatizing mentally ill people in the society. Public awareness campaigns educate people on the warning signs of suicide among the affected individuals and the preventive measures to be undertaken when those signs are observed in a person. It is important to create awareness of stigma in the society since stigma and internalized shame often prevents people suffering from mental illnesses from seeking professional help. Therefore, this media piece aimed at educating people on the dangers of failing to recognize the needs and problems of the mentally ill people.
Effectiveness of the Media Piece
Mental health disorders can lead to suicide if they are left untreated. However, most people in the society do not understand whether their actions towards the mentally ill predispose people with mental illnesses to suicide. There a controversy on the appropriate ways of treating people with mental illnesses in the society because sometimes it is difficult to know who is suffering from mental problems and who is living a normal life. Most people with psychological problems live normal lives because they fear opening up and letting others know their problems for fear of stigmatization (Hanisch et al., 2016). As a result, such people end up see suicide as the only way of ending their troubles in life. This media piece has a message that says “All I wanted was someone to understand my problems.” Clearly, this message tells us that the society does not understand the problems and the challenges that the mentally ill people go through. Thus, this media piece effectively communicated its message that people must dig deeper and learn various ways of understanding the problems that the mentally unstable people go through. As a result, it will be possible to limit suicidal thoughts and the rate of suicides among the mentally ill people.
Overall Impact of the Media Piece
The media piece has a positive overall impact in the society. In most cases, the society labels people suffering from mental illnesses. Some of them commit actions that results in getting labeled as criminals in the society. The general perception in the society is that anybody who does something wrong should be locked up and get punished in jail. As a result, most of the mentally ill people are locked up in American jails for committing various crimes. This scenario shows that the society fails to understand the problems faced by the mentally ill and the ways through which the society can help the mentally ill to live normal lives. This media piece provides the knowledge about the mental health condition thereby creating the society’s willingness to accept such patients. As a result, there will be a reduced social stigma which will reduce the distress of being derided for being mentally ill hence reducing suicidal thoughts among the mentally ill. Therefore, this media piece will have a positive impact on the society’s perception and treatment of the people suffering from mental health illnesses.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the media piece aimed at creating awareness about the problems and challenges faced by people suffering from mental illnesses. Mentally ill patients do not open up about their problems because they believe that the society does not understand them. As a result, most of them resort to suicide as a means of avoiding many problems in their lives. The media piece was effective because it challenged the society to observe the problems faced by the mentally ill patients and intervene to prevent them from committing suicide. Finally, the overall impact of the media piece is a reduction in the stigmatization of the mentally ill in the society.
Reference
Hanisch, S. E., Twomey, C. D., Szeto, A. C., Birner, U. W., Nowak, D., & Sabariego, C. (2016). The effectiveness of interventions targeting the stigma of mental illness at the workplace: A systematic review. BMC Psychiatry , 16(1), 1.
