Social Stigma In Australia

When approximately one in five Australians experience mental illness every year, it is vital to understand how the social stigma related to mental illness acts as a barrier to seeking out and engaging in treatment ("Mindframe", 2016). Stigma is a complex term that combines the constructs of stereotype, prejudice and discrimination (Corrigan & Shapiro, 2010). There are two aspects to mental illness stigma; personal stigma and social stigma. Both of these aspects, have a profound impact not only on the individuals with mental illness but their friends and family too. The reality of socially held stereotypes and prejudices on mental illness is a major factor which prevents individuals seeking treatment and also in engaging with the treatment.
Societal stigma has a negative impact on friends and family of an individual with mental illness by reducing social status, causing extra stress by blaming parents for the mental illness, blaming family for not ensuring treatment and also children of parents with mental illnesses are isolated and viewed as having less worth (Abdullah & Brown, 2011). All of this is a result of social stigma devaluing people with mental illness through negative stereotypes and prejudices (Abdullah & Brown, 2011). Mass media is accredited as the way in which these negative views and attitudes arise and cause the social stigma associated with mental illness ("Department of Health | Stigma and discrimination", 2016). The media portrays individuals of certain groups in a particular way thus allowing a wide range of people to believe these incorrect beliefs and thus, act in discriminatory and prejudiced ways (Department of Health “Stigma and Discrimination", 2016). Therefore, as seen the social stigma associated with mental illness can have a vast impact on a wide variety of aspects on an individual’s
A report from the World Health Organisation found that the stigma associated with mental illness is the main obstacle that prevents individuals seeking and engaging in treatment (Chronister, Chou, & Liao, 2013). It is vital that this stigma be addressed in order to allow equal opportunity in all aspects of life. Patients want to avoid discrimination and therefore avoid being labelled mentally ill and do not seek or engage in the treatments that they need (Bulanda et al., 2014). Due to the negative perceptions held of individuals who receive mental illness treatment, many avoid or barely engage in their required treatments (Komiya, Good, & Sherrod, 2000). Stigma causes low self-esteem and low self-confidence which can lead to low treatment effect and high relapse probability (Sartorius, 2007). Thus, patients are discouraged from undertaking treatment in order to avoid these negative