People living with mental illness often shy away from seeking help for their disorders. They end up avoiding or delaying diagnosis with fear of being treated differently or being terminated from their income-generating initiatives. These effects are rife since stigma, discrimination, and prejudice of people living with mental illness are high among the public. The stigma, which may arise from fear or lack of adequate information, leads to discriminatory behaviors that may also affect their close friends and relatives.
Types of Mental Stigma
There are three categories of mental stigma, which are public stigma, institutional stigma, and self-stigma. Public stigma is discrimination of persons living with mental illness by the general public. Examples of such discrimination include mistreatment in public transport systems where the persons may be denied entry. Institutional stigma arises from policies set by governments or private entities. Such policies may bar admission and discourage the employment of persons with mental illness, resulting in stigma and discrimination. Self-stigma is the negative attitude among persons with mental illness that leads to low self-esteem (Borenstein, 2020). According to Oexle et al. (2017), self-stigma leads to delayed recovery of the patients.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Effects of Stigma among Persons with Mental Illness
Stigma often results in worsened conditions and a reduced probability of seeking medical help. Other effects include decreased hope of recovery, low self-esteem, and difficulties in making relationships (Borenstein, 2020). The patients may also terminate ongoing medication and experience more challenges at their workplace.
Recommendations
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) suggests that talking openly with friends and on social media platforms helps reduce stigmatization among patients and their families. The alliance also encourages public education and emphasizes language consciousness when communicating with persons living with mental illness (Greenstein, 2017). A show of compassion on the patient also increases their self-esteem thus increasing chances of seeking medication. Increased self-esteem also reduces self-stigma and improves chances of recovery.
References
Borenstein, J. (2020, August). Stigma and discrimination . Psychiatry.org. Retrieved January 23, 2021, from https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/stigma-and-discrimination
Greenstein, L. (2017, October 11). 9 ways to fight mental health stigma . National Alliance on Mental Illness. Retrieved January 23, 2021, from https://www.nami.org/blogs/nami-blog/october-2017/9-ways-to-fight-mental-health-stigma
Oexle, N., Müller, M., Kawohl, W., Xu, Z., Viering, S., Wyss, C., Vetter, S., & Rüsch, N. (2017). Self-stigma as a barrier to recovery: A longitudinal study. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience , 268 (2), 209-212. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-017-0773-2
