Stigma -- How can I talk about it?

Written by Joan Holgate, Director of Training and Education at Transitions Mental Health Services.


What is stigma?
Stigma is an attempt to label a particular group of people as less worthy of respect than others. It is a mark or sign of shame, disgrace, or disapproval, and results in rejection or discrimination. This is seen in attempts to marginalize, exclude, or exercise power over individuals who are different in some way from others. Characteristics which may be associated with discrimination or stigma include physical or mental illness, intellectual or physical disability, race, weight, gender, sexuality, physical deformity/abnormality, or religion.

Why does stigma still exist?
Unfortunately, the media is responsible for many of the misconceptions which persist about people with mental illnesses. Newspapers and television news programs frequently sensationalize crimes where persons with mental illnesses are involved. Comedians make fun of people with mental illness, using their disabilities as a source of humor. National advertisers use stigmatizing images as promotional gimmicks to sell products. Movie makers often portray the villain as a mentally ill individual skulking around in the dark with an axe waiting to harm anyone who comes by.Ironically, the media also offers our best opportunity for eradicating stigma because of its power to educate and influence public opinion.

Stigma and mental illness
Over the years, many forms of discrimination have gradually declined in our society, although there is still room for improvement in many areas. It has become socially and legally unacceptable in most settings to discriminate against or ridicule someone on the basis of their race, religion, sexuality, or physical disability. Mental illness still generates misunderstanding, prejudice, confusion, and fear. Some disorders may attract greater stigma and prejudice than others. One study showed that schizophrenia attracted the most negative ratings among the public, with many respondents stating that people with with schizophrenia were unpredictable and dangerous. The same study showed a significant number of respondents had a negative and inaccurate view of depression, stating that those with severe depression could simply “pull themselves together.”Stigma, then, seems due in part to poor understanding of mental illness, and an inability to relate to the experiences of those who are affected.

The dangers of stigma
Stigma may stop people from seeking help when they experience mental health difficulties. Those who become concerned about their own mental health, or the mental health of someone they’re close to, ,may be reluctant to talk to others about the situation. Often, people do not want to acknowledge their need for support, or simply don’t know how to raise the issue with family, friends, or health professionals. This is a serious problem, since early identification and treatment is generally associated with better outcomes.

Challenging stigma
Reducing stigma requires community education, and a willingness among individuals to challenge others when discrimination occurs, or when negative stereotypes are used to describe those who have mental illness.

What you can do to combat stigma:

• As individuals we can combat stigma by discouraging the use of negative language or stereotypes regarding those who have a mental illness. Words such as, “psycho” or “schizo” have a negative connotation and are usually used as terms of derision. They trivialize the impact of a serious illness and foster negative stereotypes of those who do live with mental illness.
• We can also challenge people’s misconceptions of mental illness by gently pointing out the facts: that mental illness is quite common — affecting people of all ages, all intelligence levels, all socio-economic levels, regardless of race, gender, etc. — that recovery and management of symptoms are possible, and that people are not to blame for their mental illness any more than if they had become ill with diabetes, heart disease, or high blood pressure.
• Respond to people who have a mental illness as individuals. Learn about the person and deal with him/her on the basis of your knowledge, not your assumptions.
• Help people with mental illness re-enter society. Support their efforts to obtain housing and jobs.

Here are a few suggestions that schools and teachers may like to consider in combatting the stigma associated with mental illness (if you’re not a teacher, you may want to pass this information on to a local school, or individual teacher):

• Provide professional development opportunities for staff regarding diversity, mental health issues, and fostering an inclusive school environment.
• Challenge any disrespectful terms used in referring to people with a mental illness, or related words used as terms of derision, such as “psycho,” “lunatic,” “loony,” “schizo,” etc.
• Refer first to a person, not his/her illness. Use phrases such as “...a person with schizophrenia,” rather than labels such as, “...a schizophrenic.”
• Challenge any myths or misconceptions about mental illness, such as links to violence, or misunderstanding about the behavior of those who are unwell.

For more information go to the Transitions Mental Health website at http://www.transrehab.org/. Use the "Contact Us" page to have specific questions answered.