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
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
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