Negative Effects of Mental Illness Stigma

 Negative Effects of Mental Illness Stigma

Many people in our society struggle with the problem of mental illness. Mental illness disease makes mentally ill people struggle with the disabilities and symptoms caused by the disease. Mentally ill people are challenged by prejudice that is as a result of misconceptions that are associated with mental illness. Prejudice that results from misconceptions of mental illness denies mentally ill people an opportunity to have good jobs and better housing facilities. Mentally ill people can be successful in some other fields when given a chance. Stigmatization of mentally ill people affects the community member and the mentally ill people. The general population should have knowledge on how to interact with mentally ill people to avoid the adverse effects of stigmatization.

Stigmatization on mentally ill people stems from different stakeholders of the community. Most members of the public including the professionals have a negative attitude towards the mentally ill members of society. Some community members believe that mental illness is caused by the abuse of drugs, and therefore, mentally ill people are responsible for their condition. Also, the public has a misconception that mental illness is a taboo “Mentally ill people are shown on the television and other media sources committing violent crimes, which makes the public to create a negative attitude towards the mentally ill people.” (Hoffman, 2). Due to these misconceptions and perceptions about mental illness, the public has a negative attitude towards the mentally ill people, which makes the public to discriminate mentally ill people hence propagating stigmatization on mentally ill people. Some community members do not interact with mentally ill people because they are believed to be violent. Research has shown that mental professionals to some extent make mentally ill people to turn against themselves. People with mental illness require medical intervention to improve their condition. “Mental health professionals are ideally placed to deliver interventions, but their attitude may prevent this” (Sheals, 1540). Some mental health professionals believe that mental illness is caused by the abuse of illegal drugs. Professionals with this kind of belief have an attitude that mentally ill people are criminals, and the professionals end up discriminating the mentally ill people. Stigmatization causes adverse effects on mentally ill individuals.

Stigmatization has many negative consequences for mentally ill people and their families. Mentally ill people require a timely intervention to control their condition at early stages, but public stigmatization prevents them from seeking medical help. “Individuals often avoid or delay seeking professional help form mental health problems” (Clement, 11). Mental illness is considered to be a taboo by some people in the community. The belief causes the families of the mentally ill people to feel ashamed of their relatives who are mentally ill. Also, the mentally ill people feel ashamed of their condition, and they feel that they are not worthy in the community. As a result, the families of the mentally ill people decline to expose the condition of their relatives who are mentally ill to the health care professionals for fear of shame. Mentally ill people also decide to keep their condition a secret because they fear that exposing their condition will make other community members isolate them. Failure to report mental illness to the medical professionals then worsens the condition of mentally ill people because of lack of intervention. Stigmatization lowers the self-esteem of the mentally ill people in society. “Mental health patients with higher levels of self-stigma tend to have much lower self-esteem, efficacy, and personal agency; therefore, they will be more inclined to adopt role-identities at the periphery of major social institutions, like those of work, family, and academia” (Harkness, 2017). People with mental illness signs suffer isolation in workplaces, which can make them quit their jobs. Quitting job makes the families of the mentally ill people to leave miserable lives due to lack of basic needs. Young children with mental illness turn against themselves when they are discriminated by their fellow friends while in school, which makes them drop out of school because of the feeling of unworthiness. Stigmatization on mentally ill people extends its effects to the entire society.

Labour market discrimination towards people with mental illness has negative consequences to the society, hence need for strategies to eliminate the discrimination. Most companies do not recruit candidates who show signs of mental illness. “Fewer callbacks are predicted to the job applicants with mental illness when the jobs involve a greater likelihood for interpersonal contact with the employer” (Hipes, 25). Most employers have a negative attitude towards employees who are mentally ill. Some people who have mental illness are great professionals in different fields, such that when employed they may contribute to the growth of the community through their skills. Stigmatization causes discrimination of mentally ill people in jobs, which makes mentally ill people miss job opportunities. Job discrimination denies mentally ill people an opportunity to contribute to the growth of society through their skills, which negatively affects the community. Discrimination should be eliminated to ensure that mentally ill people have the right to work. “The right to work and employment is indispensable for social integration of persons with mental health problems” (Nardodkar, 375). Allowing mentally ill people to work is a legal procedure used by the government to encourage interaction between general public and mentally ill individuals.

The interaction between members of the general public and mentally ill people significantly reduces the negative effects of stigmatization. The government has come up with policies to ensure that the general public shows love and care to the mentally ill individuals. “Effective policies have been developed for promoting mental health in everyday settings such as families, schools, and workplaces” (Wahlbeck, 40). When the public does not discriminate people with mental illness, the mentally ill people develop a positive attitude towards their lives, which is essential for their recovery. The general public should involve the mentally ill people in the community activities to avoid discrimination of people with mental illness, which eliminates the effects of stigmatization on people with mental illness. “Occupational participation enhances a sense self-belonging” (Blank, 205). Giving mentally ill people an opportunity of employment like other members of the community makes the mentally ill people feel like part of the community. Proper interaction between the public and mentally ill people eliminates the adverse effects of stigmatization on mentally ill individuals and society.

In summary, stigmatization on mentally ill people has adverse effects on the affected individuals and society at large. Mentally ill people struggle with prejudice that is caused by misconceptions surrounding mental illness. Stigmatization on mentally ill people is endorsed by the general population and also the mental health professionals. Mentally ill people experience discrimination from some public members who believe that mentally ill people are responsible for their condition. Stigmatization causes mentally ill people to lose the interest of living, which worsens their condition. Stigmatization on mentally ill people denies the society an opportunity to experience skills of some mentally ill people who cannot secure employment because of discrimination. Involving mentally ill people in society activities eliminates adverse effects caused by stigmatization of mentally ill people.

Works Cited

Blank, Alison Anne, Priscilla Harries, and Frances Reynolds. “‘Without occupation you don’t       exist’: Occupational engagement and mental illness.” Journal of occupational        science 22.2 (2015): 197-209.

Clement, Sarah, et al. “What is the impact of mental health-related stigma on help-seeking? A       systematic review of quantitative and qualitative studies.” Psychological medicine45.1            (2015): 11-27.

Harkness, Sarah K., Amy Kroska, and Bernice A. Pescosolido. “The Self-Stigma of Psychiatric    Patients: Implications for Identities, Emotions, and the Life Course.” 50 Years After             Deinstitutionalization: Mental Illness in Contemporary Communities. Emerald Group         Publishing Limited, 2016. 207-233.

Hipes, Crosby, et al. “The stigma of mental illness in the labor market.” Social science        research 56 (2016): 16-25.

Hoffman, Greta. “Mental Illness through the Lens of Theatre.” (2016).

Nardodkar, Renuka, et al. “Legal protection of the right to work and employment for persons       with mental health problems: a review of legislation across the world.” International     Review of Psychiatry 28.4 (2016): 375-384.

Sheals, Kate, et al. “A mixed‐method systematic review and meta‐analysis of mental health          professionals’ attitudes toward smoking and smoking cessation among people with           mental illnesses.” Addiction 111.9 (2016): 1536-1553.

Wahlbeck, Kristian. “Public mental health: the time is ripe for translation of evidence into             practice.” World Psychiatry 14.1 (2015): 36-42.